Merit Pay for Teachers

[disney junky]

What would it look like? How would it be measured?

 

[daughtersrus]

What would it look like? How would it be measured?

These threads never turn out well.



Personally, I don't think that it would work because there are so many variables that come into play.

 

[okeydokey]

I think it's pretty impossible to make this work because there are so many different types of classrooms and teachers in every school. It's mostly linked to test scores on standardized tests, but not all classes take them, so who knows?

 

[Liberty Belle]

I think it's pretty impossible to make this work because there are so many different types of classrooms and teachers in every school. It's mostly linked to test scores on standardized tests, but not all classes take them, so who knows?

But often, you can only do so much. Even if you just did it by how much the children's scores increased in the classroom that year, there are other things that come into play.

And then what about the inclusion classes or the special ed/resource teachers?

 

[castleview]

Will the teacher who gets lousy kids because he's "good with them", who can't get to incorrigible kids but can minimize their impact on kids trying to learn -- will he get a raise?

 

[torinsmom]

Unless the kids were split into classes so that every class had the same number of low performing, average and high performing kids, it wouldn't be a fair system. There are kids in my class that I work with 3x as much as others, but they still don't know 1/2 what some of the others do.

 

[Hannathy]

They could be reviewed by their principals just like almost any other professional is and their raises or no raise based on this review. Many other professions have no hard scores to base your performance on and they are reviewed.

This and the automatic increased done away with will be a start.

 

[disneyjunkie]

What about the schools near homeless shelters? How will those teachers be rated? What happens with ESL teachers?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Well, I guess you could do it like bonuses with commissions?

Teachers could sign up for additional incentives to make "merit pay". In this way it is voluntary.

That is my thought off the top of my head.

 

[torinsmom]

They could be reviewed by their principals just like almost any other professional is and their raises or no raise based on this review. Many other professions have no hard scores to base your performance on and they are reviewed.

This and the automatic increased done away with will be a start.

What automatic increase? In NC, there have been no raises in YEARS. Even when there were raises, it was like $800 more per year or something like that. The only way I can get a raise now is to get another degree.

At our school, we are already reviewed several times a year by the principal. There is a long evaluation instrument they use to evaluate us. If you get low marks, you are on probation until you show improvement. Our performance is not based on our kids' scores, but we don't get merit pay either.

 

[Hannathy]

What automatic increase? In NC, there have been no raises in YEARS. Even when there were raises, it was like $800 more per year or something like that. The only way I can get a raise now is to get another degree.

At our school, we are already reviewed several times a year by the principal. There is a long evaluation instrument they use to evaluate us. If you get low marks, you are on probation until you show improvement. Our performance is not based on our kids' scores, but we don't get merit pay either.

So you don't get more money the more years you teach? that is an automatic raise.

So you are making the same exact rate as you were 5 years ago?

 

[Hannathy]

duplicate post somehow

 

[torinsmom]

So you don't get more money the more years you teach? that is an automatic raise.

So you are making the same exact rate as you were 5 years ago?

Yep, they stopped step increases here a few years ago. You have a year's more experience, but your salary stays the same. I am about to get a raise b/c I just got my Master's and I will get another one when I get National Board certified.

Actually, I was looking at my paystub a while back and realized, I made LESS than I did three years ago(only $300, but still)

NC teachers don't make a high salary, as compared to many other states. Our last governor had a plan to get us up to at least average for the US, but then he was gone and a new one came in who stopped all that. We don't have unions, so we are at the mercy of the state. Last year, we had a furlough imposed on us to pay for a budget shortfall. There were a lot of teachers eating ramen and mac n cheese that month!

 

[palavra]

So you don't get more money the more years you teach? that is an automatic raise.

So you are making the same exact rate as you were 5 years ago?

There are many places in the South where this is true. A couple of years ago in Georgia, public school teachers had forced furlough days as well.

 

[KristaTX]

Off the top of my head, I think it would help more to have merit pay for students. Grades used to serve that purpose, but I'm not sure they do for many kids anymore.

 

[okeydokey]

So you don't get more money the more years you teach? that is an automatic raise.

So you are making the same exact rate as you were 5 years ago?

Yes, very common now. Same with many state employees.

 

[torinsmom]

Just looked up the salary scales for NC for the last few years. For 2010-11, the step 10(10 years experience) salary was $38,680. For 2009-2010, the step 9 salary was $38,680 and for 2008-2009, the step 8 salary was $38,680. So, I have not had a raise in at least three years. And that means, my local supplement has not gone up either, since it is based on our salary.
(I was trying to copy and paste a link, but every time I go to another tab, my post disappears) If you go to http://ncpublicschools.org you should be able to see the salary scales for years past. There were step increased through 2007-08 and then they stopped.

Even if there was a $500-$600 increase per year for going up a step(which is what it appears when you only look at one year in isolation), why should that be stopped? Don't most people get a cost of living increase each year?

 

[Hannathy]

Yes, very common now. Same with many state employees.

as it should be. You shouldn't automatically get more money just because you lived to the next year. All raises should be reviewed and based on merit/and or demand for the job.

 

[torinsmom]

as it should be. You shouldn't automatically get more money just because you lived to the next year. All raises should be reviewed and based on merit/and or demand for the job.

Well, right now, even if you get exemplary marks on your evaluation, you still aren't seeing one cent more. There is only action if you get really bad marks. What is the incentive to get better than average? And we surely need better than average teachers with the way budgets are being cut left and right. We are supposed to do more with less somehow.

I think everyone should get a small raise each year, because the cost of living inevitably goes up. I'm sorry, but each year I have to cut back more and more to take care of my son because everything(gas, food, clothes) is going up in price, while I make the same amount of money. Most teachers have second jobs year-round to fill the gap. This is not just a teacher issue, it's a lower-middle income issue.

 

[Hannathy]

Even if there was a $500-$600 increase per year for going up a step(which is what it appears when you only look at one year in isolation), why should that be stopped? Don't most people get a cost of living increase each year?

No they don't at least not in the private sector.