Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 22, 1994 TAG: 9408120023
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Those interested in trying again in Virginia and locally may want to track a merit-pay experiment recently begun in a Colorado school district, south of Denver. In an effort to enhance accountability for improved classroom instruction, the Douglas County School District has entered into a pact with the local teachers' union.
All teachers in the district will enjoy a 6.45 percent increase in their base salary this year, an inducement regarded as necessary to win their cooperation. In coming years, though, teachers no longer will receive automatic pay raises simply by staying in their jobs longer. Their performance (and classroom portfolios) will be evaluated by a combination of peers, administrators and parents.
Teachers ranked as outstanding will receive one-time bonuses of $1,000 on top of whatever raise is given generally. More pay also can be earned by acquiring new skills, such as with computer software, or taking on more responsibilities, such as developing new curriculum.
Meanwhile, those given "proficient" ratings will receive whatever raise is based on funds available. And unsatisfactory teachers will get no raises.
Here's an excellent twist: Teachers can receive some reward if their schools meet common education goals, such as for improved reading. The idea: shared incentives for shared objectives.
Problems with this system are the same as with any merit-pay plan: above all, the challenge of ensuring that the performance evaluations are credible and consistent. But this district's three-tier plan seems a reasonable effort to reward the best and send a message to the worst.
The alternative to some kind of attempt at merit pay is to imply that current accountability for teaching and the rewards for excellence can't be improved upon. Surely that isn't true.
by CNB