My Letter to You

            I am calling out to you to denounce the old, yet revisited, notion of merit pay.  Now, some merit pay systems help to incentivize teachers by paying them more to work in hard to fill teaching positions.  In this case, I am in full support.  The merit pay systems I am refuting are the ones that are connected to performance pay. 

            In recent years, unions have taken the brunt of protecting “bad” teachers.  I have certainly seen some of these teachers in action.  And, yes, they need to be removed.  But, they can be removed, with affective principals.  Affective principals have the ability to move teachers out.  It is a myth, perpetuated by conservative talk shows and the like to look for ways to attack unions.  Unions are not the problems.

            One solution is to raise the overall salaries for teachers.  You cannot recruit the finest with a yearly salary of forty-three thousand dollars.  Especially, when this amount accounts for a bachelor and a master’s degree, not to mention at least six years of schooling. 

            Another idea for improving our teaching force is to make sure educators are given adequate teaching materials.  Most important in these materials are curricula.  The students are need of meaningful curriculum, not “drill and kill”.  Our educational system still exists in an era of rote memorization.  It is not fair to entirely blame our teachers for our students failures when curriculum, that is mandated by school boards and superintendents, is inappropriate and lacking in meaning. 

            Finally, teachers need time to collaborate with one another.  Currently, teachers are given thirty minutes before and after school and one thirty-minute time slot during the day.  This does not allow for collaboration and reflection.  Collaboration and reflection allows teachers an opportunity to adjust their pedagogical approaches, collectively review student work, and debrief lessons and units.  Perhaps, even set up future lessons with other teachers and families.  With easy access to educators via email and telephones, many teachers use this time responding to families, colleagues and administrators.

            The idea of connecting teacher pay to student performance is downright scary.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I think educators can make a big difference in a child’s life.  Even with our current length in school day and year, assuming, they are supported by their principals.  But, applying teacher pay to a student’s ability to take a reading, writing and math test is wrong.  Make no mistake, with an incentive like money, there will not be many teachers who do not teach to the test.  Or, decide to pass on social studies and science in lieu of mastering predicates and synonyms. 

            In the new evaluation system, which is being rolled out by Seattle Public Schools, the district has moved away from the two tiered system of “satisfactory” and “unsatisfactory”.  Now, teachers are aiming for innovative and proficient.  The bottom two rungs of the new evaluation system are basic and unsatisfactory.  As a teacher, I certainly like the idea of being referred to as innovative, rather than satisfactory.  In fact, I applaud the change.  The problem exists, and the principals and teachers will take the brunt, the subjectivity and distinguishing between proficient and innovative.  Another problem with this system is the district’s attempt to link incentive pay to the evaluation system.  If a teacher receives at least two innovative marks and two proficient marks, the educator is eligible for career ladder move, such as a mentor teacher.  The problem is only two teachers are allotted this position per school.  There goes any collaboration and teaming.  Teachers will be left to compete with each other.  If teachers are given the position, they make an extra $2000 to $3,500.  It’s safe to say, they’ll be fighting over the scraps. 

            Merit pay is not the answer.  Please think twice about the devastation that can occur under a pay-for-performance based system.  The benefits simply do not outweigh the costs.  Be an advocate for your local schools, do your research, avoid the Fox News ticker, read beyond the first couple paragraphs of the newspaper and be a support students by funding public education through sound ideas, well thought out and researched.

Sincerely,

Brad Bauer

Fourth and Fifth Grade Teacher