Performanced Based Pay

[Unregistered]

Hello,

My name is Barb D. I am a student going for my middle school mathematics degree. For my school, I have to do a research paper. I have decided to do the paper on performance based pay systems.

For the paper, I have to do a survey. Mostly the survey talks about teacher pay based on student performance on standard tests. If you are interested, please visit: http://www.my3q.com/go.php?url=barbd00/66585

Thanks.

Barb

[Unregistered]

I'm against performance based pay. Often schools put more low kids in one classroom (pooling for inclusion) and put all of the GT students into another. The teacher with the lower students might actually be a better teacher, but it will not always show in the scores.

[Chocolate_New_Orleans]

I agree - what performance based pay will encourage is good teachers fleeing to already good classes. Anybody can coach a state championship team when you have 11 of the best athletes in the state.

What it will also encourage is good teachers moving away from innercity schools or low performing schools. NCLB already does that. I would be the same quality teacher whether I'm at a historical "F" school or if I stay at my "A" school. Why would I want to give up my bonus check and praise that I get yearly at my "A" school, just to teach at a failing school where I will be blamed for their poor performance by the general public and legislators that don't understand what factors are causing poor grades pass laws that put my job in jeopardy.

NCLB has given me incentive based pay (a bonus) and job security ONLY because I got to a good school. Heaven help me had I been at the inner-city school down the road

[LoneStar]

Big article in the Houston Chronicle (Sunday, February 1) about this very subject. Apparently Houston ISD is scheduled to follow a merit-based plan that could include huge bonuses based on performance (among other things), with student test scores being the primary factor.

Read the article here: http://www.chron.com/news/houston/ Click on the link on that page that reads HISD could pay best teachers $100,000 a year (it's on the left of the screen).

[Unregistered]

Lone Star, thank you for sharing that article. My first thought when reading it was that it would be more effective to double the number of teachers hired (cut class size in half) than to double teacher salary. I think the catch that they have set up is that only the top 10% will be able to get the pay increase-thus capping the amount they will spend in bonuses. I don't think this will really change the way people teach. Most of the teachers that I know teach to the best of their ability already-this job tends to attract people who care more about the work they are doing than their salary. I think the real key to improving teacher quality is making sure that teachers have access to the appropriate resources and training.

I have often wondered why so much time is spent focusing on the teachers. Admin has a greater effect on the schools than any single teacher, yet you never hear diatribes about about the process of qualifying them or greater pay for greater effectiveness. Like most teachers I have worked under both effective and ineffective admin. A poor administrator can drive a school and student achievement down far faster than teachers can.

[LoneStar]

This has been a very heated topic in the Houston area. Houston ISD is (I believe) the largest school district in the state, covering a huge area of land and people from all walks of life: the River Oaks area and Texas Medical Center (very affluent) to the Fourth Ward (the other end of the spectrum). The drop out rate is high. Test scores are low. Teacher retention is abysmal. HISD is looking for ways to improve student performances. This has come with much debate from both sides, and the teachers unions (which are not very strong here) are very opposed.

[Unregistered]

Teacher retention is abysmal.









My personal observation is that school culture influences teacher retention far more than money. I have never heard a teacher say they were district hopping for more pay. Most of the teachers I know (including myself) that have left a school did so because they did not believe that they are being treated well or being given enough freedom to do their jobs well.

In the months leading up to the TAKS test mis-managed schools can feel like a pressure cooker. When I was in this situation I closed my classroom door and made a point of not allowing that atmosphere into my room. There is enough research out there that shows that students do not work well under extreme pressure-so I keep the mood positive and focused on learning.

People can only stay in a negative environment for so long before it effects them. They eithor stay and become less effective due to burn out, or they leave.