The issue of merit pay for teachers has been a long discussed and argued topic, with many people not involved in education favoring the concept. Since businesses have utilized performance or merit pay for their employees, many argue that it is only fair to use it for educators. Proponents of introducing merit pay, such as Peter Kent, vice-president of the Association of School and College Leaders, argues that this type of pay is much fairer than the old payment of automated progression (http://www.forbes.com/sites/nickmorrison/2013/11/26/merit-pay-for-teachers-is-only-fair/print/.)
Kent, a former teacher says that he became very “frustrated” when teachers who did not deserve to move up the pay scale were able to. He believes that school …show more content…
In some ways, it could be “more likely to damage our children’s education than improve it” (http://parentsacrossamerica.org/performancepay/.) In a study conducted by Vanderbilt University, teachers who were offered bonuses based on improving student test performance did no better than the control group. These results have led to some schools in New York and California to eliminate their merit pay systems. Another caveat of merit pay is that it could increase the amount of test prep and standardized tests that students are asked to take if that is how teachers are judged. More tests means more money and more tests could lead to student …show more content…
However, after being in education for over eight years I do not see it is a realistic or fair way to compensate educators. There are so many variables that go into how a student performs on a test and many of those are out of our control. The current pay scale system that many districts use (moving up lanes with experience and credits) may not always seem fair and certainly is frustrating to younger teachers, but it works in many ways. Through experience and credits, teachers gain knowledge and become better. There is no question that I am a better teacher now than when I first started out, so why wouldn’t I get paid more now? I have already seen how test scores and data can create some tension amongst colleagues. If they were being paid on those results, it would only create more issues. Teachers would be pitted against each other and be forced to defend their results. I do not think it would create a system of collaboration or support, which are huge parts of a quality school. Teachers need to have each other’s backs, not be competing against each other. I believe that right now education is in a trying time. We are testing students at a very high rate and it does not seem to be improving results. If teachers are paid on results, I think education will continue to go in a downward spiral. We need to
Kent, a former teacher says that he became very “frustrated” when teachers who did not deserve to move up the pay scale were able to. He believes that school …show more content…
In some ways, it could be “more likely to damage our children’s education than improve it” (http://parentsacrossamerica.org/performancepay/.) In a study conducted by Vanderbilt University, teachers who were offered bonuses based on improving student test performance did no better than the control group. These results have led to some schools in New York and California to eliminate their merit pay systems. Another caveat of merit pay is that it could increase the amount of test prep and standardized tests that students are asked to take if that is how teachers are judged. More tests means more money and more tests could lead to student …show more content…
However, after being in education for over eight years I do not see it is a realistic or fair way to compensate educators. There are so many variables that go into how a student performs on a test and many of those are out of our control. The current pay scale system that many districts use (moving up lanes with experience and credits) may not always seem fair and certainly is frustrating to younger teachers, but it works in many ways. Through experience and credits, teachers gain knowledge and become better. There is no question that I am a better teacher now than when I first started out, so why wouldn’t I get paid more now? I have already seen how test scores and data can create some tension amongst colleagues. If they were being paid on those results, it would only create more issues. Teachers would be pitted against each other and be forced to defend their results. I do not think it would create a system of collaboration or support, which are huge parts of a quality school. Teachers need to have each other’s backs, not be competing against each other. I believe that right now education is in a trying time. We are testing students at a very high rate and it does not seem to be improving results. If teachers are paid on results, I think education will continue to go in a downward spiral. We need to