Reply #294: You are sadly confused about merit pay

[Mithreal]

When I taught high school chemistry, before the school year even started I was told to fail or discourage 50% of my students from taking the second semester in the course. Students placed in my classes had been identified as having poorer math skills. I was told plainly that if I did that, those students would not have to take the state mandated Chemistry test and our principals and superintendent would receive their merit pay which was tied to raising these scores. I was not the only teacher told this, there were four science teachers in the room. Another teacher and I agreed to ignore the command, what could they do. I was asked more than once to update my progress in failing these students. At the end of the year, I and the other teacher found ourselves without contracts. The teacher who most vocally agreed and responded positively when asked for updates about our progress in failing these students was promoted to head of the science department at the end of year. Lest you think he was gifted as a teacher, he was well-liked and a lecturer, that was it. Lecturing to me was a tool not my entire toolbox. He did not deserve the position but whatever.

Like a lot of things that sound good, the devil is in the details.

My wife is a teacher in an economically depressed area. Within a building there are "gifted" teachers that are identified as being capable of teaching the students that are "gifted" and the way they are chosen often has more to do with the quality of the relationship with the principal that any objective determination like education or training. Different schools in the district even segregate students by the economic accomplishments of their families. Richer families live in richer neighborhoods with "better" schools. Teachers may work harder and sacrifice more, working in economically depressed areas and then have to worry that if their students do not do as well as students on the other side of town, the will not be fairly rewarded with "merit pay". Merit pay can be more about who your students are and who your principal is then who the teacher is or the job the teacher does.

I read some of your other posts here. We have all had bad teachers. The folks who seem to blame the unions first have their heads up their arses. PE Obama is wrong about merit pay. I read you were gleeful or something similar about PE Obama coming out against the teacher unions. Well, let me tell you, PE Obama does not understand what teachers face every day and over their careers in this country. If he did, he would support their unions. PE Obama has nearly zero control over local school districts, their school boards, principals and superintendents, or even the economic situation of the families.

Merit pay will be used destructively.

PE Obama should never have "bragged" about challenging the unions on merit pay. I saw it, I know what he said. PE Obama used it as a talking point to brag about how he takes on his party in this country, good for him. I think it scored him some points, but not with me. We will see how PE Obama governs. I think he is going to be the best President in our lifetimes but I will still call him out when he is wrong.

If you want high quality education for every child that wants to learn, merit pay IS NOT THE ANSWER. IT IS A DISTRACTION FROM THE REASON many SCHOOL SYSTEMS ARE ALREADY BROKEN and are being systematically BROKEN.

EDIT TO ADD: My teaching career did not start in WA state lest anyone suspect from my avatar image that I am talking about WA state. I am not. We can't even adequately fund schools here though, it is a damn shame.