A Merit Pay Head Butt

Redfern: Merit pay would hurt students because it would create a two-tier public education system. Good teachers who want higher salaries would flock to districts where raising test scores and demonstrating high student achievement would be easier. Within a short period of time, lower-performing schools would be left with less-effective teachers. They would lack experienced colleagues who could help them improve teaching practices. The merit-pay model has been tried elsewhere and has failed. Should we try a failing model on our students?

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Korman: Like most teachers, good or bad, I wouldn't change much about how I teach if you paid me half as much or twice as much. The implication that I would be a better teacher if I just tried harder is absurd and offensive. Merit pay won't fix my leaking ceiling or teach my students how to read, but it would help ensure that good teachers stay in the classroom, and encourage a larger pool of talented college students to consider a teaching career. It's time to modernize our profession.

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On 3/7/05 at 12:33 p.m.

Redfern wrote:

I cannot agree more that the idea that merit pay would make me a more effective teacher is offensive. Teachers work hard every day because they love their students. Introducing merit pay would not modernize the teaching profession. It would completely change it. Teachers currently work in an environment that promotes collaboration, which meets the needs of students. A workforce of teachers competing for pay encourages teachers to keep good ideas and teaching practices to themselves. This does not help students achieve higher standards.

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On 3/7/05 at 8:28 p.m.

Korman wrote: