Single-Salary System Hampers Teacher Evaluations

In "Fixing Teacher Evaluation," Thomas Toch says that "the single-salary schedule may be the most stubborn barrier to better teacher evaluations." In "When Merit Pay Is Worth Pursuing" (online-only), Joshua H. Barnett and Gary W. Ritter offer a positive assessment of the Achievement Challenge Pilot Project, a performance-based pay system in Little Rock, Ark.

Do you agree with Toch's assessment of the single-salary system? What do you believe is the fairest and most effective way to determine teachers' salaries? How does the Little Rock model stack up?

Comments

[Dave RU]

Unfortunately, Mr. Toch's assessment is filled with inaccuracies. Contrary to his statements, administrators are trained in how to evaluate teachers, and they do discuss their evaluations with teachers. A post evalaution conference is standard operating procedure. Also, the purpose of the evaluation process is not to catch teachers failing but to help teachers improve their skills at instruction. Non tenured teachers, novice teachers with little experience at instruction, are evaluated at least three times per year, not once as Mr. Toch stated. Tenured teachers are evaluated only once, but they have experience and cannot have made it throught the nontenured process without showing proficiency in their position. As far as the TAP, several features that lauds as being necessary to successful teacher evaluation already occur in schools. Lesson plans, instruction materials, and student work are evaluated by adminstrators for many different purposes in schools. Finally, as far as the single salary system, Mr. Toch fails to take into account that adminstrators can withhold salary increments and can move to remove ineffective teachers from their positions. With regard to merit pay, the arguments for it just do not work. Reason 1, motivating teachers. This just isn't so. Teachers are motivated by wanting their students to succeed. No teacher has ever said, "I'll leave that child behind." Reason 2, it will attract more talented teachers to the profession. Teaching is not a profession motivated by salary. All teachers understand that their career choice is one filled with intrinsic rewards and not monetary ones. Reason 3, better teachers will consistently earn more pay and weed out the less effective ones. There is no guarantee that even the best teachers will earn merit pay bonuses because the students and their abilities can vary greatly from year to year. The Little Rock model is a perfect example of the problems of merit pay. The determining factor is scores on standardized tests. So not only will the tests drive instruction they will determine the salary of teachers. So what will instruction be like in the Little Rock schools?