http://educationnext.org/a-case-for-merit-pay-its-easier-to-identify-good-teachers-than-to-train-them/ Education Next is a journal of opinion and research about education policy. Wed, 23 May 2012 13:30:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://educationnext.org/a-case-for-merit-pay-its-easier-to-identify-good-teachers-than-to-train-them/comment-page-1/#comment-18249 Katobwa Stallworth Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:55:57 +0000 http://educationnext.org/?p=49635081#comment-18249 I believe that the key is better trained teachers. Students are only as good as the leader. The body will follow the head! Next I would look at other college majors to teach in our schools. Here again they would need training but why not if they can teach. I think that we need national standards so that we can truely look at what we need as a nation. I think that we should look at school models that work across the nation and copy . Why are we doing the same things over and over again thinking that it is going to be diffrent. How can educators be so smart yet so slow about change. I beleive that all things must change to become better when working with people. Schools of education across this nation must be real about what they teach their students. If we know what they need why don't we prepare them! I believe that the key is better trained teachers. Students are only as good as the leader. The body will follow the head! Next I would look at other college majors to teach in our schools. Here again they would need training but why not if they can teach. I think that we need national standards so that we can truely look at what we need as a nation. I think that we should look at school models that work across the nation and copy . Why are we doing the same things over and over again thinking that it is going to be diffrent. How can educators be so smart yet so slow about change. I beleive that all things must change to become better when working with people. Schools of education across this nation must be real about what they teach their students. If we know what they need why don’t we prepare them!

]]> http://educationnext.org/a-case-for-merit-pay-its-easier-to-identify-good-teachers-than-to-train-them/comment-page-1/#comment-12374 F. Godinez Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:58:17 +0000 http://educationnext.org/?p=49635081#comment-12374 How does one determine what makes teachers good at what they do? What measure does one use? Test scores only? As a teacher myself, I am dismayed at the amount of students who tell me that they simply did not try or that they are not going to try because the test has no bearing on them. So are we to then punish the teacher? Not every student does this, but some do. What about teachers who get students that score far below basic on the previous test and then on next year's test the majority of the students score basic? That is significant growth, but will the teacher be reprimanded because the majority of students did not score proficient? What measure do we use to even determine if teachers are doing a good job? That first has to be agreed upon. There are so many variables outside of the teacher's control. Test scores are affected by a student's home life to whether or not they had a good breakfast. Most teachers I know want feedback and want to improve their craft. If I worked in corporate America and needed training, the corporation would provide that training. Teachers today pay for their own training and hope to get reimbursed if the school budget allows it. It is time to stop blaming teachers and start finding solutions to this problem. Did you survey teachers and find out what they thought about the current state of education in America? Maybe the Governor wanted union support, or maybe he thought there are flaws in merit pay that have to be addressed before implemented. It is time to find solutions and stop pointing fingers. How does one determine what makes teachers good at what they do? What measure does one use? Test scores only? As a teacher myself, I am dismayed at the amount of students who tell me that they simply did not try or that they are not going to try because the test has no bearing on them. So are we to then punish the teacher? Not every student does this, but some do. What about teachers who get students that score far below basic on the previous test and then on next year’s test the majority of the students score basic? That is significant growth, but will the teacher be reprimanded because the majority of students did not score proficient? What measure do we use to even determine if teachers are doing a good job? That first has to be agreed upon. There are so many variables outside of the teacher’s control. Test scores are affected by a student’s home life to whether or not they had a good breakfast. Most teachers I know want feedback and want to improve their craft. If I worked in corporate America and needed training, the corporation would provide that training. Teachers today pay for their own training and hope to get reimbursed if the school budget allows it. It is time to stop blaming teachers and start finding solutions to this problem. Did you survey teachers and find out what they thought about the current state of education in America?
Maybe the Governor wanted union support, or maybe he thought there are flaws in merit pay that have to be addressed before implemented. It is time to find solutions and stop pointing fingers.

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