There are a lot of people hurting as this recession drags on. At least six million people have been without a job for more than six months. There’s anger.
And there’s resentment. Currently teachers are the target and it means a review of their total compensation. Pay, health benefits, pension, time off, and tenure are all seen as unfair in the face of the constant rhetoric of how US students are falling behind on international test scores. Logic says: poor test scores = poor performance = a loss of jobs. If you’re one of the six million people without a job that’s the bitter pill you’ve swallowed.
Although the focus is often on teacher pay, I don’t think that’s the case. The real angst is for tenure. And teaching is one profession that I don’t feel like pay is as important as it is in other industries. The sparkle in a kid’s eye as they figure out multiplication is the seminal motivator of most good teacher.
I’ve stated in other posts that I feel tests are over utilized as a measurement for teachers. Tests should be used to reinforce weak areas for kids development, but it should be coupled with something that kids produce. Creating something involves many more levels of learning, whether it’s creativity and problem solving or math and engineering, and that should be used to judge teachers.
Below is an interesting 60 Minutes report that highlights pay as a performance element for teachers:
http://cnettv.cnet.com/av/video/cbsnews/atlantis2/cbsnews_player_embed.swf
Working Thoughts 