tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post3123768244107892318..comments2024-03-26T04:19:38.862-07:00Comments on kitchen table math, the sequel: My Teacher Merit Pay PlanCatherine Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-36778760832352194552007-05-05T16:47:00.000-07:002007-05-05T16:47:00.000-07:00"Do something useful. Stop whining and go read wit..."Do something useful. Stop whining and go read with your kid."<BR/><BR/>okTurbineGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09781298806992944235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-78905678590593920932007-05-04T09:58:00.000-07:002007-05-04T09:58:00.000-07:00How does one teach a full day, assess the day's wo...<I>How does one teach a full day, assess the day's work, "create" tomorrows incredible lessons, and continually improve through professional development?</I><BR/><BR/>Why do teachers have to create their own lessons? If I were a teacher starting out I would want to buy a retiring teachers materials. Like buying out a medical or dental practice. Get all plans, materials, tests, assignments, and schedules to use in my classes. I could then spend my time improving them rather than creating them from scratch. <BR/><BR/>Is there a market for this kind of thing? Why don't teachers copyright and package their materials for sale? <BR/><BR/>I just don't get it.<BR/><BR/>SeanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-13253199615011915752007-05-04T09:54:00.000-07:002007-05-04T09:54:00.000-07:00" no where in my plan did I mention Professional D..." no where in my plan did I mention Professional Development"<BR/><BR/>"...hopefully provides incentives for teachers to excel and to improve."<BR/><BR/>Sorry, I guess your goal of excel and improve happens magically. Not the you have cured the education system, any ideas or merit pay plan on how to solve the problems in Iraq? Maybe we could offer the generals an extra $10 000? <BR/><BR/>Do something useful. Stop whining and go read with your kid.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-53572536387078695872007-05-03T14:27:00.000-07:002007-05-03T14:27:00.000-07:00Anon,My rough guess at a plan was to eliminate sev...Anon,<BR/><BR/>My rough guess at a plan was to eliminate several of the problems in your program.<BR/><BR/>1. I gave value added scores much more weight than evaluations, since student outcome is the bottom line.<BR/><BR/>2. I think value added scores should be based on an average of 3 years to reduce effects of bad luck on drawing a "bad" class, and to have consistant results be rewarded.<BR/><BR/>3. My personnel reporting system would have to be agreed upon by three different individuals and would have to rate people in specific areas. This would reduce personality differents and favoritism.<BR/><BR/>4. My plan is not a bonus system, its a promotion system. I forgot to add that I would have minimum time requirements to serve in each level, perhaps 2 years. Teachers performance in each area would be confidential, but not their "rank".TurbineGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09781298806992944235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-34230983191520594662007-05-03T14:05:00.000-07:002007-05-03T14:05:00.000-07:00Our district uses a performance plan called the Te...Our district uses a performance plan called the Teacher Advancement Program. On paper this looks great, but reality is a different story. TAP has different professional levels: career teachers, mentors, and masters. The last 2 recieve stipends for added responsibility with masters generating about $11,000 extra per year. We have 35 masters that do not teach children, they run cluster meetings for teachers which foster collaboration and joint planning. They also evaluate the teachers under their care. We have 3 times as many mentors and they teach 2/3 of the day and spend theother 1/3 evaluating peers and "mentoring". Some of these folks have 3 years of experience. The merit pay is distributed 25% for success at increasing achievemnet on the state test, 25% for increasing achievement on a in house achievement test called the NWEA, and 50% on evaluations conducted by the masters, mentors and principal. Each teacher has 6 evals, 1/2 unannounced. Then through a very complicated formula that no one can explain these evaluation scores are compiled and plotted on a bell curve. A certain percent receive top bonuses and a certain percent receive nothing. The 2 hours of cluster time per week came out of former planning time. This district has 5500 kids and 33% of 10th graders were proficient or advanced on the state test in math. Imagine if the 35 masters helped those kids out? If a teacher dares to speak out the in house evaluations plummet even if the teacher is a star at raising achievement. Also no one knows which teachers receive bonuses and it is not to be talked about or one is not a "team Player". Our turnover is horrendous and we have lost over 100 teachers each year for the last 5 years. I don't have a problem with merit pay but this program does not work. However, the feds just awarded our district tons of money for using this model.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-59496646626932177442007-05-03T12:57:00.000-07:002007-05-03T12:57:00.000-07:00How does one teach a full day, assess the day's wo...<I>How does one teach a full day, assess the day's work, "create" tomorrows incredible lessons, and continually improve through professional development?</I><BR/><BR/>One doesn't... why create tomorrow’s lessons, we have been teaching the same subjects for the last 100 years. It would be idiotic for a profession to require everyone to create something from scratch that has been done 1000's of times before.<BR/><BR/>Assessment isn't done daily, its done continually, and note that the personnel evaluations are done by administrators and made while observing teachers on the job performance.<BR/><BR/>Profession development is a joke... no where in my plan did I mention Professional Development... only continuing education that would be optional and only doable on the teachers own personal time.TurbineGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09781298806992944235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-73530668858502360322007-05-03T11:24:00.000-07:002007-05-03T11:24:00.000-07:00And isn't this what the public really wants?Er, no...<I>And isn't this what the public really wants?</I><BR/><BR/>Er, no, that's kind of what 'not satisfied' means...Independent Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14559237565237736636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-9044926925407971272007-05-03T11:03:00.000-07:002007-05-03T11:03:00.000-07:00The balanced approach, as you seem to be defining ...The balanced approach, as you seem to be defining it, is a compromise which ensures that nobody is satisfied with education system.<BR/><BR/>And isn't this what the public really wants?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-7808919312591474692007-05-03T10:47:00.000-07:002007-05-03T10:47:00.000-07:00Teachers give the "market" exactly what it demands...<I>Teachers give the "market" exactly what it demands, a balanced approach.</I><BR/><BR/>That's actually exactly what the market <I>doesn't</I> demand. It's like the old joke about the three economists who go hunting. The Keynesian misses 10 meters left, the supply-sider misses 10 meters right. As the deer flees into the distance, the econometrician pumps his fist and yells, "Bullseye!"<BR/><BR/>The balanced approach, as you seem to be defining it, is a compromise which ensures that <I>nobody</I> is satisfied with education system.<BR/><BR/>I'm actually in the process of writing my first post here on this exact subject - looking at public education as a <A HREF="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.10/tail.html" REL="nofollow">long tail</A> problem.Independent Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14559237565237736636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-90206438168918187942007-05-03T10:22:00.000-07:002007-05-03T10:22:00.000-07:00"Teachers give the 'market' exactly what it demand..."Teachers give the 'market' exactly what it demands, a balanced approach."<BR/><BR/>A monopoly gives the "market" exactly what it wants? Wrong by definition.SteveHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03956560674752399562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-83244934731600681782007-05-03T10:08:00.000-07:002007-05-03T10:08:00.000-07:00How does one teach a full day, assess the day's wo...<I>How does one teach a full day, assess the day's work, "create" tomorrows incredible lessons, and continually improve through professional development?</I><BR/><BR/>Probably the same way that just about every other profession on earth does. Except for tenure, this is pretty much how pay/promotions are handled throughout the private sector. <BR/><BR/>The fact that this plan seems so radical tells you quite a lot about the structural problems in the education system.Independent Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14559237565237736636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-73464488394981084082007-05-03T09:25:00.000-07:002007-05-03T09:25:00.000-07:00Get serious!How does one teach a full day, assess ...Get serious!<BR/><BR/>How does one teach a full day, assess the day's work, "create" tomorrows incredible lessons, and continually improve through professional development? <BR/><BR/>Adding hoops for more money seems a bit simple, and, like most simple plans, is doomed to fail. Long live B.F. Skinner!<BR/><BR/>The spectrum of expectations varies. You want your children to be pushed, whilst others don't want their darlings to experience any stress.<BR/><BR/>Teachers give the "market" exactly what it demands, a balanced approach.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-73429543860733645512007-05-03T05:17:00.000-07:002007-05-03T05:17:00.000-07:00The incentive plan I like is the one for parents a...The incentive plan I like is the one for parents and kids - full school choice.SteveHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03956560674752399562noreply@blogger.com