(np) merit pay

[Bekah]

Another issue -  when teachers are paid on the basis of how well their  
kids do on tests,  the teaching is pretty much "to the test"  ONLY!    
No art, PE,  music,  etc.  and those are the things which keep some  
kids in school.   Also,  when teachers are paid by test score the  
pressure in the classroom goes way up -  the kids are more scared than  
eager learners.   Pressure during test weeks (and the week before) is  
bad now - if my pay were based on it I'm not sure I could keep my  
issues out of the classroom.   There are teachers now who do way too  
much yelling and pushing and pushing and yelling.   (It doesn't work -  
it only scares the kids.)

   I see more stress symptoms in the kids,  like nail biting,   
aggressive behavior,  etc,   than in years past.    I'm a good teacher  
with lots and lots of experience (I could retire any time).   I agree  
with the increased  standards but that alone does not ensure that kids  
achieve.   In California it's now about higher standards with less  
money - no aids, larger class sizes,  furloughs,  longer but fewer  
days.  (And what do you do with longer days?  The kids are tired  
already -  it's about the energy savings - $$$ -  of fewer days.)

Bekah
whose class planted sunflowers yesterday - although it's not in the  
"standards"  (lol)



On Apr 15, 2010, at 6:46 AM, Keith wrote:

> The folks in California setting up the statistics to analyze the  
> significance of test scores and teacher merit should also be paid  
> based on their merit. They wouldn't get a dime. As Bekah points out  
> they don't understand the basics when it comes to controlling all  
> the relevant variables.
>
>
>