Teacher Compensation Reform
I remain wary of Obama’s teacher compensation plan, but here are two articles on the subject. As I opined previously, the idea of paying the good teachers well is wonderful and I would wholeheartedly say “yes” if the world were more with the logic and the black-and-whiteness and less with the grey areas and red tape.
Perhaps I’m being too pessimistic, but I worry that somehow, even the great teachers who are doing the best they can with what they have will get screwed because they don’t have the resources available to them to do the proper job of educating that they’d like to do. Also, it strikes me that the only way for the powers that be to know which educators are improving/ being wonderful teachers is to test the students. That brings us right back to standardized testing and kids being caught in the middle and that always just pisses me off. Sometimes I wish I were brilliant think-tank fodder so I could solve problems like this.
Further Reading:
Obama Pushes to Reward Great Teachers
The Future of Teacher Compensation
School Leaders Target Salary Reform Toward Newer Teachers
Lessons From 40 Years of Education ‘Reform’
National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality: Useful Links
Democrats for Education Reform
Posted by Alexa Harrington
I agree completely.
I would love to see teachers earn more money and be held to standards that push them to achieve greatness. I just don’t know how we do both at the same time.
In some ways, it feels like we need to shut down the whole schools system and reboot it. Trying to change it with the engine running seems awfully dangerous and counterproductive.
I as well as a lot of teachers feel the same way. We are limited on the simple things like paper…..no matter how creative you are in your classroom, you still need copies of things. Especially since we are practicing for our testing. The pressure is so high for testing that I think that in itself causes people do not do their best….job security pressure all relates!!!!