"Teacher pay should be based on merit", says a forthcoming report....[see http://www.ncpa.org/iss/edu/2002/pd051402a.html]
Our politicised public schools undermine any possibility for schools to be systems centered upon on transformational capability (i.e., demonstrated ability to teach) and the provision of necessary support of its development and maintenance. The lack of an accountability and pay system that relates the degree to which student growth can be attributed to teacher decision and action is central to the problem.
On the one hand we have those who argue that such a pay scheme can never be perfectly just and who then argue that in the absence of perfection* we should not implement any plan, even those that are admitted to be very good designs that are available. On the other hand, I would argue, that the absence of any such scheme makes teachers, schools and ultimately students subject to lesser and/or negative forces and variables (e.g., peer pressure, athletics,the culture of the 'mean', litigiousness of various groups, bandwagon curricula, etc. etc.). There is no doubt in my mind that the sum of these forces, if not kept in their place, progressively distance schools from their individual and societal purpose.
The linked Meta-analysis-based report make clear how important active and demanding classroom activities are to significant growth of students (http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v10n12/).
*"Less than perfect" means that some group raises some objection loudly. 'Loudly' implies a threat that puts schooling itself at risk via the threat of litigation or threatened walk-outs. 'Less than perfect" does NOT imply that a plan, on balance, WOULDN'T work to improve educational support for students after short term start-up adjustment effects. Would some teachers leave? Yes. Would some teachers have salaries frozen or be fired because of nonperformance? Yes. Do these results mean that a plan is, on-balance, bad? My answer would be "No!", when I think of present systems, and their effects, as the alternative.
What do you think?
