Merit Pay

This year is my first year working on the negotiations committee for the Wahpeton Education Association.  I didn’t know exactly what to expect at our first meeting but it wasn’t really very unusual.  Three members of the school board and an administrator sat on one side of the table, the business manager and keeper of the minutes sat at the head of the table and five members of the local teacher union (myself included) sat on the other side.  (I'd like to add that the chairs were oversized and very comfortable.  They even matched which is more than can be said for the seating in my classroom.)  It seemed a little ridiculous for the lowly teachers to come begging “professionals” from the community for a raise.  After all, how do they get raises?  A dentist, a banker, etc.?  Well, they work harder to earn more money. 

I’ve long been a supporter of researching merit pay.  I think it could bring more professionalism to the teaching profession.  We talk about extrinsic motivation, right?  Why don’t we test it on ourselves?  The board offered a flat dollar amount for the first year and a percentage raise the second.  In other words, beginning teachers would benefit more the first year, experienced teachers the second.  The stand of the National Education Association as well as our local is to reward teachers for their experience (not to use merit pay.)  I can see that point of view.  After all, these experienced teachers went through the first half of their teaching careers watching more experienced teachers get better raises.  I understand that.  But

 I couldn’t help scanning down the list of teachers and looking at what they stood to gain.  Some people on the list have been stagnate for years.  Am I really worth $10,000 less than someone like that?  Someone who never tries new things, doesn’t care about student learning, complains during every in-service because it’s information that teacher will never use, skips out early more days than not?  I think the answer is no.  If someone teaches more and better than someone else, then why can’t that teacher be paid more?

I know there would be potential problems.  Countless articles (like this one) say it would be an "expensive failure."  Who would be the judge of “merit”?  This article states that teacher evaluations are inflated.  If evaluations aren’t fair in themselves, then they aren’t fair tools to base merit pay.  Test scores won’t work either.  To be honest, I can’t think of a fair basis for the system, all I know is that the current system doesn’t seem too fair either.  

What other profession are employees allowed to avoid change, become idle, play solitaire for an hour straight, show videos more days than not, come late and leave early?  Every school has teachers like this.  I think it’s a real shame and maybe merit pay could do something to change it.  Perhaps we could learn something from the business world.  We may be hearing more about this in the future.  President Obama laid out a plan including merit pay this last spring.

Learning Communities

Schools have forever been trying to increase student learning.  High schools want their students to make it to college, colleges want students to stick it out for the full four years.  Let's face it.  In order for this to happen, we've got to start taking a deeper look at the students who don't make it and figure out why.  

An article in USA Today poses the question:  "If large numbers of students aren't making it through, it's a question of, is the program structure successful?"  Bingo!  This college is trying something new called "learning communities" which encourages students to make personal connections with other students who are working toward a common goal.  In this case, it's passing math, a subject in which they struggle.

My first year at Valley City State University I was put in a learning community with other freshmen called "Learning to Live, Living to Learn."  The common goal?  To get through our first year.  We discussed alcohol, grades, laptop computer problems, dorm life, etc.  Basically every obstacle that came into the life of a first time college student.  Did it work?  I guess I don't know.  I still keep in touch with some of my classmates via email and Christmas cards.  Others, however, didn't even make it to second semester.

Most of the resources I've consulted have listed learning communities as something in higher education, not really at the high school level.  I wonder if it would work at the high school level.  Kids at the school where I teach often have "Math Parties" before a big test.  This must be a type of learning community.  Students banding together with a common goal.  Our incoming freshmen class are grouped and assigned to a couple of older students in order to help them make the transition to high school.  These are more social learning communities rather than academic ones.  High schools are less likely than colleges to cluster or link students in such a community formally, but I think it would be a good idea to take a look at these groups.  What are some ways we could incorporate academic learning communities into high schools to help improve academics? 

What's the lesson here?  I think the key is to realize that an emotional connection important in the learning process.  Will a learning community work for every learner?  I'm sure not.  Is it worth a try to attempt to reach struggling students?  Absolutely.

 

Enjoy!

Welcome to my blog!  I am currently taking Principles of Teaching and Learning from VCSU and this blog is part of the course.  Enjoy!