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Tyler Picha Dr. Bumgarner Education for Exceptional Individual 1 December 2013 Merit-Based Pay An ongoing controversial issue surrounding the education world has been the question whether to implore a merit based payment plan for teachers. In other words, many have opposed and supported the idea of teachers getting pay raises for their students performing well. Notably a students success would be reviewed by test scores or other criteria. Those who are in favor of the pay for performance idea believe it will increase teacher salaries creating more teachers in the field, reward the best teachers, and overall make teachers work harder. However in opposition, detractors argue this idea will create teachers only focusing on their personal goals rather than working with their colleagues and students. In addition, many believe a teachers pay should not fall into the hands of our youths ability to perform in the classroom due to different levels of learning. Furthermore, critics note that teachers with wealthy and intelligent students will have an advantage over students who may suffer from learning disabilities or come from poor backgrounds, especially if the measurement is standardized test scores. Personally, I believe teachers should receive more credit than they do, but a merit-based payment plan is not the viable solution. This idea of the merit-based pay has become so popular due to the economical, academic, and moral issues involved. Beth Lewis, a teacher of ten years, shows in her article Pros and Cons of Merit Pay for Teachers, the risk and reward of a merit-based performance idea. In the positives she notes, Americans value hard work and results, and out capitalist system hinges on

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rewarding such results (Lewis 1). In addition she believes, Incentivized teachers will work harder and produce better results (Lewis 1). The concept of teachers working for extra pay may create all around better performance from them and their students. Next, Lewis points out that the performance pay program will help bring in the nations brightest minds (Lewis 1) into the teaching field. Finally she notes a merit-based pay system would solve the injustice in the payment of teachers and the teaching shortage crisis at hand. In opposition though, the moral harshness involved seems to outweigh the positives. Lewis referred to the idea as a bureaucratic nightmare of almost epic proportions. Many major questions would have to be adequately answered before educators could even consider implementing merit pay for teachers and, Such deliberations would inevitably take away from our real goal which is to focus on the students and give them the best education possible (Lewis 2). Furthermore, the idea of measuring success of the students seems nearly impossible, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has already proven how the various unleveled playing fields in the American education system (Lewis 2). Lewis also points out that with the consideration of handicapped, non-native English speakers, and those from low income neighborhoods, how can a teacher produce the same success as a teacher with a class full of affluent students? Finally, the morality issue of dishonesty and corruption could occur under the performance payment plan. Lewis stated, Educators would be financially motivated to lie about testing and results. Teachers might have legitimate suspicions of principal favoritism. Lewis went on to say, Complaints and lawsuits would abound. Overall, the negatives seem to trump the positives of the merit-based pay issue. In finding a compromise to adhere to the low salary of teachers, Ellen R. Delisios article Pay for Performance: What are the Issues? shows the ploys to the idea but also offers the

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alternative answers. Delisio notes that teachers have slowly climbed their way to a very below average wage, and something needs to be changed. However she points out many reasons why merit-based pay seems faulty. Robert Weil, deputy director for the American Federation of Teachers, said in the article that in order to approach the teacher salary issue that it will take time, development, and a standard operating procedure (Delisio 1). The plans noted in the article besides the merit-based pay solution included: Knowledge and skills based pay where teachers earn more by acquiring new skills and applying them or school based performance pay where each staff member earns more if students meet particular goals. It is clear there have been suggested solutions to the low pay of a teachers salary, and in careful planning many minds in the world of education are trying to figure out the right one. Joshua Burnett proposed in the article, When Merit Pay is Worth Using, that building in incentives to promote collaboration is an effective way to implement a payment plan. Burnett noted that schools should, Include a reward component based on school wide student improvement. The merit score for classroom teachers with tested students should be based, in part, on school wide student achievement growth. In this type of plan, teachers have an incentive to focus on not only the achievement of students in their own classrooms, but also on the achievement of all students. After viewing both sides of merit-based pay and seeing the amount of conversation around it, I do not favor the exact idea. The idea of teachers competing for money by making their students better in class seems nearly barbaric. In addition, there are too many different situations in our world to factor in determining the success of a teacher versus another. In

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addition, the thought of teachers lying about their students test scores to up their pay defies all moral codes of the profession. The first and foremost priority should be the students, and meritbased pay seems to take away from that. I personally support the ideas suggested on school wide based pay and skills based pay. If a teacher is personally working hard on their own to master their craft, I believe they deserve notoriety. Also, if a school staff can work together to improve all of the children in the school; the idea of earning money seems a lot more favorable. In conclusion, I agree that a teachers salary should be raised, but not in the means of a merit-based payment plan. Whichever way you look at the pay issue of teachers, Beth Lewis said it well, There's not a teacher in the world who entered the profession for the money.

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Works Cited Barnett, Joshua. "Membership." Educational Leadership:Expecting Excellence:When Merit Pay Is Worth Pursuing. N.p., 2008. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. Delisio, Ellen R. "Pay for Performance: What Are the Issues?" Education World. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. Lewis, Beth. "The Pros and Cons of Merit Pay for Teachers." About.com Elementary Education. About.com, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2013.