Poll: Incentive Pay

[pentex]

For my research class, it would be much appreciated if you answered the following questions:

Your grade level

Would you like to see a Pay for Performance program implemented in your district, where teachers are rewarded via bonuses by reaching certain goals, i.e. their students' results on state tests?

A yes or no would be fine or if you want to make a comment....

[Lisa's Hotscakes]

I think you need to define the measure before we answer the question.

[Unregistered]

Who would have guessed....Lisa can't just answer a simple question!!

8th Grade--YES that would be great, although I don't think it would ever work or be simple :o)

[BigDaddyTeacher]

For my research class, it would be much appreciated if you answered the following questions:

Your grade level

Would you like to see a Pay for Performance program implemented in your district, where teachers are rewarded via bonuses by reaching certain goals, i.e. their students' results on state tests?

A yes or no would be fine or if you want to make a comment....

1) Currently, I teach all grades, and most subjects, through a hospital-based education program.
2) No way, no how, no thanks. Our jobs are already stressful enough without us having to jump through hoops to make "bonus levels" in our classroom. Since State Test results can be skewed on purpose (I've seen it happen!), they would not be any indicator of how well a subject can be/was taught.

(oh heck - did i just agree with Lisa again? :D )

[Lisa's Hotscakes]

Who would have guessed....Lisa can't just answer a simple question!!

And who would have guessed you would find a way to object to one of my posts.

[Unregistered]

Please bump...hoping to get more replies. (Thanks to those who did answer, and please keep in mind this is a very general concept...not meaning to outline an entire program, just if your district mentioned that incentive pay/pay for performance program was being considered, would this be something you would intially feel good or bad about?)

Thanks!!

[Kristi]

I would like to say yes, but no because often students are grouped by ability. What if I got a low group that just will not perform at the "bonus" level.

[Lisa's Hotscakes]

What if I got a low group that just will not perform at the "bonus" level.

You're making an assumption about what "merit" constitutes, hence the problem I mentioned earlier. Until "merit" is elaborated in the original survey, we cannot provide a definitive answer.

[Unregistered]

No. Teaching is different from selling shoes. We don't work on commission.

Results on a test do not measure my achievements as a teacher but measure how a student was feeling at a particular moment in time.

[Unregistered]

Results on a test do not measure my achievements as a teacher but measure how a student was feeling at a particular moment in time.

If your students consistently perform poorly on standardized tests, then you need to reconsider. Blaming consistently poor test scores on student emotion is just a copout.