Quote:
Originally posted by RedefinedDiva
It's a double-edged sword. The bonus will make some teachers work harder to prepare their students so that they will be eligible for the bonus, while some instructors will work hard and still get nothing, simply because the students may not suceed, regardless of what the teacher does. And what about teachers that are already in high achieving areas? They get the bonus automatically?
I think that Houston needs to rethink this merit pay jive....
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Thats how most teachers feel. I mean instead of measuring how well or how much students grow, they are going to take test scores and use as a means to pay teachers who supposedly work harder more money.
That sounds great but what about if I teach inner city kids who are all below the poverty line and haven't been given the proper foundation for education walk in my ninth grade class and I can produce growth from scoring in the 21st percentile to the 63 percentile? Thats 42 percent! That is huge growth, but you teach kids who have been wealthy their whole lives goes from scoring in the 83 percentile to the 87th percentile? Your kids grew 4 percent. Surely I am the better teacher, but because my kids did not score 70% you get a bonus! Thats crazy!! I don't work in Houstin Independent School District, I teach in a district in Houston, north of HISD. Teaching is so under appreciated, if people really knew the students we deal with today it would trip you out!
