Suppose doctors were given a negative rating whenever one of their patients died? Few doctors would be willing to treat critically ill patients, and those with life-threatening ailments would have a hard time getting care. A bill now pending in the Florida legislature similarly would encourage teachers to avoid the students who are hardest to educate by making teachers singularly responsible for test scores.
Florida has been trying to test its way to better teaching and learning, but that strategy hasn't worked. Senate Bill 6 continues down that mistaken path by using test scores as the predominant measure of a teacher's effectiveness and holding them virtually solely responsible for student performance.
A more effective way to achieve the outcome we all want is to use a valid teacher evaluation system that provides the support, assistance, tools and conditions teachers need to succeed. Otherwise, they're being asked to do their job with one hand tied behind their back.
To develop great teachers and teaching--and deal with ineffective teachers--school districts must overhaul current evaluation systems. Instead of administrators basing evaluations on standardized test results and an annual "drive by" observation, I've called for a teacher development and evaluation system that helps identify great practices that should be replicated and those that should be thrown out. Regular observations would identify struggling teachers, who would get immediate, targeted assistance and coaching. If they didn't improve, there would be a fair and fast removal process. In this newly designed system, of course student learning should be part of a teacher's evaluation, along with so much more that goes into teaching and learning.
SB 6 falls far short of achieving a crucially important goal--to attract and retain the best teachers and encourage them to take on the toughest assignments. The legislation is the embodiment of the current fad to demonize teachers. Its premise is simply to throw the classroom keys to the teacher and say, "Just do it, and if you don't, you're fired."
Florida's test-based accountability system hasn't solved the problems that schools must contend with--weak curriculum, inadequate resources and support for teachers, school safety issues, students' poverty and other home-life challenges. Indeed, Florida schools have become test prep centers instead of centers for academic excellence.
If teachers truly are the key to the educational advancement of our children, they need the support, resources and professional respect to make a difference for all of their students. SB 6 offers none of that. Instead, it crassly bases most of a teacher's pay on test scores. Further, it ignores the fact that teachers only get better as they become more experienced; the bill places them on annual contracts and prohibits recognition for years of service, advanced degrees or becoming nationally board certified--the equivalent of board certification for doctors.
Teachers don't shy away from responsibility or from being held accountable for the results of their efforts, but they want what they need to do their jobs. And they need genuine partners--principals, superintendents, parents, political leaders and the broader community. None of the other countries that outperform the United States has the kind of provisions that Florida is entertaining. SB 6 is an assault on teachers and students. It will hurt our public schools. This bill, combined with legislative schemes to renege on the constitutional amendment to reduce class sizes and to cut school funding, is the wrong prescription for what Florida schools need and what students deserve.
"SB 6 falls far short of achieving a crucially important goal--to attract and retain the best teachers and encourage them to take on the toughest assignments."
This is blatantly false. Under SB 6, teachers who serve in "high-need" schools and in critical subject areas would be paid MORE. This would help attract and retain the best teachers who take on the toughest assignments, not scare them away.
SB 6 is based on two ideas: that teacher quality, as measured by student improvement (not performance), matters; and that the best indicator of a teacher's future performance is past performance. (Sort of like if someone has *been* good at their job, then they're likely to *be* good at their job.)
Why the focus on teacher quality, and not on the other things Weingarten advocates? Because it has been shown that teacher quality can dramatically improve student achievement, *irrespective of race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status*. There is no other intervention - not one - that has been shown to have this effect. This is for the poorest, most disadvantaged kids - kids who are much more likely to have bad teachers, and who, right now, hardly have a chance.
This is their chance. Support the bill. Do the right thing. (Obama does - it's identical to his "Race to the Top" fund.)
(Here's the research: http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2006/04education_gordon.aspx)
line 1216 says more than 50% of a teacher's performance must be based on student standardized test scores.
line 1026 says districts are not allowed to use advanced degrees or years of experience for ANY percentage of the salary schedule.
line 1106 says if the student doesn't perform on the end-of-year test (no matter the reason), this is regarded as "just cause" for the teacher to be fired.
If you still believe this to be an incentive for the best teachers to teach better, then you've never taught k-12. The smartest, most talented teachers also tend to be the ones with other options. Sadly, the incentive this legislation provides for these individuals would be to leave either the state or the profession.
I
-Won't be able to attract teachers from other states because they will have the starting pay of a brand new teacher. Teachers from other states will be labeled "beginning teacher" and will get the same starting pay grade as brand new teachers. Imagine telling a 20 year veteran teacher from New York that her starting salary is $32,000!
-Restricts the teachers who can teach reading math, science and other critical shortage areas. Must be certified in the area, and cannot even teach out of field temporarily while getting certification in an area.
-Teacher cannot be rehired if students don't make gains in only 2 of 5 years!
-Reduced incentives for administrators. ALL administrators and non-instructional teachers will have 50% of their pay determined by others, the AVERAGE gains of the entire school!
-Schools are forbidden from financially recognizing a teacher of the year!
-Teacher retainment must be based on standardized testing. If school boards have to cut back on teachers, (as many have had to do because of budget cuts) the board must base their decisions primarily on standardized tests scores.
They are out to destroy it.
What's your proposal?
I think we do need some merit based pay for teachers. We all have been to high school here, and know teaching, like every other profession, has its good apples and its bad ones. Right now, because of the teaching union, there is no merit based way to reward the good teachers. Everyone gets the same raise regardless of actual ability to do their jobs. That needs to change.
Why not compare test scores from like schools? In florida, every year schools are rated A-F. Of course lower income areas generally do worse, as those kids tend to have a much tougher home life. Why not take teacher's at F schools and compare them to one another.
I dont know if that's a solution that would work or not. I just know the teaching profession shouldnt be exempt from being paid on their ability to do their job. We need some sort of merit based system. Bad teachers shouldnt be rewarded the same as good teachers.
again, teaching union, what's your solution?
Linking 50% is far too much, IMHO especially without any increases. What I especially don't like about the bill is that it doesn't even place the incentives in the right place and won't allow us to really measure student performance. Each county will make a difference test, so we can't compare student or teacher performance between counties. BTW, I just read HB 7189 (which is the house's version of SB 6) and it has some very pernicious aspects that have not been well-publicized.
If parents had to pay for school they would demand better schools and if the parents paid for the school then the school would listen.
(Note to self... Don't forget to blame the Democrats)
More for Florida educators to be angry about
the message below was given by valerie strauss from the Washington Post
SB 2126
It’s SB 2126, which would expand a program that allows corporations in Florida to contribute to a fund that provides scholarships, or vouchers, for private schools. The corporations can then deduct the amount from their corporate income and insurance premium taxes.
In other words, millions tax dollars that could go to the state to help out in this difficult financial downturn would instead go to send kids to private schools, most of them Christian, Muslim and Jewish.
[Added at 9 p.m.: This is an expansion of a program already in place, and there are varying estimates of how much money is involved. Supporters of the fund say it saves money for the state; opponents, and some school districts, say the opposite.]
Never mind that the state is cutting public education (and other) funding and raising tuition at public colleges and universities. Somehow, Florida has money to help corporations help kids go to private religious schools.
The State will determine the content of the tests, standards/criteria for student performance, and the formula to calculate the merit based portion of teacher pay. The budget crisis incentivizes lawmakers to set enough of the goals just out of the reach of most teachers in order to cut costs. Teachers should consider SB 6 a big hint that Florida is only holding up one finger behind its back.
@DogoftheEarth - You got fanned because game respects game.
As Tekkdude points out . . . when ARE you volunteering?
if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.
If you sincerely believe that the standard used to judge teachers is truly unfair, and you earnestly believe that teachers who are found to be ineffective, even after all reasonable assistance is given, should be removed from the classroom, bring your point of view to the legislative table and negotiate in good faith. It's not that difficult to figure out.
If you're going to head to that negotiating table, call for a doubling in funding for education, and then refuse to take on any additional responsibilities, you're not negotiating in good faith and will be readily ignored.
No, I'm starting to see that the whole blame the teacher thing is more a symptom of our society transforming into a society where everything is someone else's responsibility or fault.
A teacher review like you are proposing would be an expensive waste of time, since it would not address the real problems with the American education system.
We should do away with grade designations and advance students as they learn. Non english speaking students should have their own classes until they can communicate. High school should be optional. Reserve HS for the students who want to go on to college, business, or learn a trade. Keep the students out that are only there because they have to be. Students need to be taught how to be competitve in academics, Keep Up or Go Back.
Your proposal would put control of local schools into the hands of a federal review panel.
Didn't you advocate the use of marijuana for students on 'Real Time With Bill Maher' two weeks ago?
Teachers need support not federal reviews.
Blackwater does so much better a job than the Army.