[summer]

I feel like FL wants, so much, for all students to succeed, and that is the motivation of FL officials behind this plan. And, when they make their case about merit pay, my instict is to support merit pay because what's wrong with rewarding the best teachers?

But, FL is acting on the premise, supported by research, that the teacher is the most important and influential party in a student's life. However, those who oppose comp pay, do not buy that line of research as much as FL does.

Case in point, as here is a little inside joke among teachers at an inner city school: These teachers (at an "F" school) say they know how to bring their school's grade up to an "A" overnight -- just give them the students from an "A" school.

You might laugh at this, but here is their point: If you switched students at an "F" and "A" school, but left the same teaching faculty in place, would the "A" students suddenly become "F" students? No. Nor would the "F" students suddenly become "A" students.

That is the reason many teachers oppose merit pay -- because the teachers in the affluent, wealthy, all white schools will get merit pay year after year, even if they do absolutely nothing because those kids' parents are also teaching those kids. Meanwhile, many teachers work their butts off in inner city schools, and while some improvement does happen, it doesn't come without a lot more work than teachers in better in schools will ever do.

BTW, experienced teachers do not flock to the low performing schools. Teachers with lots of experience stay in the better schools and do not move. It is the new teachers who are always forced into the toughest teaching situations. And, it is those teachers who will be last on the published list of good teachers. Not a good way to encourage teachers (as part of this E Comp plan wants to publish names of teachers). If you have 20 years of experience and can't get your students to improve, OK, maybe your name should be on a list. But you're starting out, the last thing you want is to be told you're a failure before you even start.

[summer]

Sorry about that typo: instict = instinct

[stacytec]

Agreed, there is a lot to be said about the degree in which neighborhood and family play a roll in a student's performance.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

My Stepson took a job in one of the F schools(in SC) and after three years of "teaching them to be polite once they are in prison" got fed up and joined the Army. Many of his students in the HS level were functionally illiterate and did not give a s--- about learning.

[grasshopper2]

You make a good point about how A students will continue to be "A" students even if they are taught in the "F" school. And I agree with you that the merit pay increase would unfairly benefit teachers with the A students.

However, merit pay tied to score improvement is still a good idea if offered only to the "F" schools and using the standardized test scores is really the only way to access merit fairly. Any other accessment could be political.

[Lancey Howard]

Excellent post.

I have always thought that it's all about the parents. Stupid parents tend to congregate in poor areas and have stupid kids who generally all go to the same school. And vice versa for smart parents.

There's really not much that a teacher can do with a classroom full of stupid and disruptive kids, and there's really not much a teacher has to do with a classroom full of smart and attentive kids.

[Zack Nguyen]

That is the reason many teachers oppose merit pay -- because the teachers in the affluent, wealthy, all white schools will get merit pay year after year, even if they do absolutely nothing because those kids' parents are also teaching those kids.

An interesting point and no doubt true, but I don't feel sorry for teachers. It's not as if bad teachers get their salaries cut or get fired under this program (though they should.) It is introducing a little competition into the industry. So it's not a level playing field - that's life. Most people deal with it everyday.

[bill1952]

Do you live in Florida, summer?

There is a mechanism in place there that prevents exactly that.

And NObody has railed against it more than the teachers have.

Guess why? Its called the FCATS and the teachers have nothing to say about it!

Wait until we have Vouchers on the ballot this year!
You ain't aheard no nothing wailing like the wailing you will hear then from teachers and school officials! :)