Merit pay is the big topic of conversation here in Georgia. I am totally against the proposal of merit pay, so my blood starts boiling every time I read about the possibility of my state (or any states) moving toward that kind of teacher pay system. After reading a few recent articles on the topic, I was inspired to write this post. Click HERE for one of the articles. If you are interested in sharing this post on facebook or other social media, scroll down for an image version. Thank you for taking the time to read. I do realize that there are differing views on this topic. I would love to hear yours in the comments section below.
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What
is merit?
By
definition, it is the quality of being particularly
good.
Or,
the quality of being worthy,
Especially
so as to deserve praise or reward.
In the case of school teachers,
their merit could soon determine their pay.
But, how do you determine a
teacher’s merit?
Who gets to determine the value
of a teacher?
Who gets to decide their
individual worth?
The reality is, no one in
particular will determine the teacher’s worth.
The truth is, circumstances will
govern their merit.
Circumstances that change from
year to year will decide if a teacher is valuable.
Whose circumstances affect the
teacher’s pay?
The students that are placed in
that teacher’s classroom.
Every year it’s a new set of
circumstances.
That’s right. I guess the teacher
could be valuable one year and worth significantly less the next.
It really depends on the
circumstances.
A teacher’s merit won’t be
determined by the hours she works.
It won’t be determined by her
degrees.
It won’t be determined by the
extra tutoring sessions after school.
It won’t be determined by the
supplies she purchased with her own money.
It won’t be determined by the
trainings she attended twice a week after school.
It won’t be determined by the
hours spent re-teaching a concept to the same child day after day.
It won’t be determined by the
phone calls home and conferences she tried to schedule.
It won’t be determined by her
sleepless nights wondering how to help a child.
It won’t be determined by the
highly focused lessons she planned and taught each day.
It won’t be determined by her
twenty years of successful teaching.
It won’t be determined by winning
Teacher of the Year two times in those twenty years.
Really?.....not even Teacher of
the Year?
Titles mean nothing when it comes
to Merit Pay.
She has a new set of challenges
this year. The village she needs in order to help the students is nowhere to be
found.
Her students are well below grade
level.
Some are abused.
Some are hungry.
Some spend their evenings
babysitting younger siblings. They fall asleep to the TV at midnight.
Some sleep in hotels. Others sleep in cars.
Some sleep in hotels. Others sleep in cars.
Remember that word….
Circumstances.
No food, no parental involvement,
no home.
No love, no dedication, no care.
No doctors, No dentists.
Their clothing is too small and their hair
isn’t brushed.
These circumstances will
determine the teacher’s pay.
Politicians say her students
should leave her class reading on grade level.
The reality is… they came to her
not reading at all. Some have never had
a story read to them at home.
The politicians say her students
should leave her class writing a two page story.
The reality is… they came to her
not writing their name. One child didn’t even know his name.
Circumstances are no way to
determine value.
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