Last updated on 2012.01.28
My fellow teacher at The Displaced Plainsman recognizes what's really up behind Governor Dennis Daugaard's merit bonus proposal: it's an effort to divide and conquer us teachers.
Governor Daugaard said that the key to promoting excellence in teaching is to hand out money... but not to everyone. Read his State of the State address. He makes clear we have too many teachers. He apparently feels we have far too many elementary teachers and not enough math and science teachers. He thus wants to "apply free market principles" and create two new state-funded bonuses. Starting in the 2013-14 school year, Governor Daugaard wants to give $3500 every year to everyone who teaches math or science in high school or middle school. On top of that, starting in 2014-15, he wants to give $5000 each year to the best 20% of all teachers.
I have a math degree. I've taught algebra and physics. And I like to think I'm pretty good at my job. I can tell you that Governor Daugaard's plan would work... and when I say work, I mean work in the physics sense of the word, force applied over a distance, not necessarily work as in "produce favorable results."
Offer me the chance to add $8500 to my salary, and I guarantee I'll take action. First I will look for every opportunity to switch my teaching assignment from French to math. If I hear a math teacher in my building is thinking of moving or retiring, I will put a big smile on my face, bring that teacher cookies, and say, "Oh, what a wonderful idea! That will be so good for you and your family!"
Then, as we compete for merit bonuses, I will shut my classroom door so other teachers can't learn my "trade secrets" and copy my strategies for producing effective results. I will stop publishing my lesson plans online and move them to a password-protected website accessible only to enrolled students. I will maintain a polite reserve at teacher in-services and workshops, speaking in general terms about various developments in academic research but avoiding giving anyone any useful information about specific classroom activities I use to boost my students' test scores. And if I can get my hands on that bonus, I certainly won't be here blogging about how we can change or expand the merit or bonus laws. I know full well that these bonus plans are a zero-sum game: we can probably only afford them if we restrict them to certain teachers and eliminate other teaching positions to pay for them. (Why else do you think Daugaard emphasized the trend of increased staffing in K-12 education?) I want my $8500, and if I can get it by out-performing other teachers and keeping that money out of their pockets... well, that's how the free-market principle of competition works, isn't it?
The replacement of collaboration with competition is exactly what worries Rapid City superintendent Tim Mitchell:
"What the governor is trying to do, I am very supportive of, in that the only way we can increase the ability for our systems across the state to increase student achievement is to build the capacity of the people within it," Mitchell said.
But he worries that the merit pay might have unintended consequences.
"One of the things that's always a concern is if it fosters a competitive environment when we're trying to develop a collaborative environment because that's what research says is good for kids," Mitchell said [David Montgomery, "Daugaard Proposes Reforming K-12 Education System in State of State Speech," Rapid City Journal, 2012.01.10].
This year, thanks to cost savings and increased revenue, the Spearfish School Board was able to give every employee a $1000 Christmas bonus. Every employee, from administration down to custodians. Those unexpected bonuses went a heck of a long way toward making people feel like the district appreciates their efforts. Those universal bonuses reinforce the idea that the good things that happen in our school are the product of everyone's efforts, working together.
Some of the best education I've seen in South Dakota happens in our speech activities. Our interp and debate coaches push their kids to compete hard at their weekly contests. But those coaches, those dedicated educators, are always sharing their best coaching and teaching ideas with each other. They hand over boxes of speech material and brief books to new teachers to help them find their footing and build their teams. They get together at the beginning of each school year at the speech convention, where they freely share their ideas. Don't tell me that we would improve the performance of great teachers like Leo Kallis at Yankton, Judy Kroll at Brookings, and Kerry Konda at Aberdeen by pitting them against their peers in competition for cash.
But fine. If you think we need to prepare kids for the global economy by showing them teachers modeling cutthroat competition, then go ahead. Pass Governor Daugaard's plan. I look forward to crushing the competition and cashing my check. That's exactly the team spirit you want from your teachers, right?
p.s.: SDEA thinks the governor is on the wrong track, too.
I'll concede that the science and math teachers are in demand and do teach things that are very confusing to many. However I'd argue that social studies and english teachers (speech included) are more important in the real world. If you can't communicate or understand how the real world is you won't get very far.
That is my problem with this, you are going to turn teachers against each other. I remember when the Governor was running and he mentioned a bonus for science and math teachers and my college classes we had a big discussion (almost argument) about why it was a good or bad idea. The science and math teachers thought it was good everyone else thought it was bad.
As teachers move onto the common core standards where more integration and real world application are applied if everyone integrates science and math are they eligible for this bonus? Some may say $3,500 isn't much, but for almost every teacher in the state its 10%+
I also think merrit pay can leave hard feelings, if you honestly feel you deserved the bonus and didn't get it it could cause work place problems, at a time with the CC standards where we are suppose to be workings more and more together with other faculty.
This idea coming from the same governor who was willing to cut education 10% last session. His credibility means nothing at this point. His idea of merit pay speaks of throwing "red meat" into a room where those inside have gone without too long.
I agree wholeheartedly that this idea moves education from a collaborative environment to a competitive environment and will harm education. I doubt this idea is a new one and other states have probably already tried this. What have the results been from those other states?
Frank, I think if you search ALEC, you will probably find the framework for this initiative there.
Speaking of ALEC, given that we as a state rely on them to write our laws and pay money to send our legislators there, wouldn't it make more sense if we just fired our representatives and governor and paid a small fee to ALEC to let them write our laws?
Cory, your analysis is missing one important fact. Being willing and able to work with your co-workers is a factor in merit pay. At least it does in private sector competitive environments.
Did the governor say how long it would be before education would catch up to where it should be after last year's draconian cuts? He and the legislature will and should be held accountable for getting that back on track...soon.
Kind of like a stockbroker who totally trashed your portfolio saying "but we're up this year, so it's all good...right?" as you look fondly back to when your fund was in the black.
Oh Sibby, you are a gift! You said "Being willing and able to work with your co-workers is a factor in merit pay. At least it does in private sector competitive environments."
Is that kind of like Stace and his friends? Are you suggesting that since they don't play well with the other children in Pierre that they should be kicked to the curb or just not given a bonus?
"Are you suggesting that since they don’t play well with the other children in Pierre that they should be kicked to the curb or just not given a bonus?"
If you read my lastest at Sibby Online, Abadallah says they can 'Go to Hell'.
So Jana, collaboration in public education means that one shall go along with the New Age propaganda or get the hell out? We are all one big happy New Age family, so we all must be paid the same?
"Children of Lesbians have fewer behavioral problems:"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/7810111/Children-raised-by-lesbians-have-fewer-behavioural-problems.html
Sibby, you don't play well with others. Maybe we should dock your pay. From now on I suggest Cory only gives you one comment per topic until you shape up.
What in the world is the deal with this "New Age propaganda" gibberish that takes over every single thread on this site? Seriously: it's incoherent, it's nonsensical, and it derails every discussion. Give it a rest already.
Doesn’t it seem strange that the legislator in South Dakota and the governor continue to do the same things over and over and over again expecting something different to happen each time.
First its playing with a woman's body, never mind that she doesn’t want us to do anything like that and would rather we just keep our hands and our heads out of her private business.
And now this. How many teachers did the governor talk to about this proposal? A hundred? Fifty? Ten?
What's next, ticket quotas for highway patrolmen? Conviction rates for judges? Or heaven forbid teaching sex education to bring down birth rates and cut STDs. Your job could be in line for reassessment.
Why not keep to what you know how to do best if your in the legislator or the governor in Pierre this year. Stace, Steve, Gordon, Bob, Roger, and Governor Doogie this songs for you. http://youtu.be/EZDBXm11WXY With friends like these?
The Blindman
"Sibby, you don’t play well with others."
Bill, can you provide details?
Plugging Cory's spam filter with examples of your paraxenopathy serves little point, Steve.
Consider a few weeks in Key West.
Mr. Sibby plays fine, I say.
The issue with this bonus stuff is you libbies are all socialists and want all the slackards to get the same as the butt kickers. The legislatures will decide this, and they will hopefully whomp on the educrats and entitlist heathens.
I am not speaking for my good friend Sibby on these matters.
I agree with you Cory.
Sibby is Steve Hickey a conservative or is he a RINO? I'm curious because he reminds me of a George Bush type. Am I wrong?
Also Cory the merrit pay is an bad idea. But the GOP has all the votes so it will pass unless legislators feel the heat this year.
What's interesting to me is there hasn't been much discussion about removing tenure. Giving schools the ability to slough dead weight is beneficial, but I keep harkening back to my internal debate about intellectual freedom in education.
I'm not so certain the system proposed would foster isolationist competition. Only half of a teacher's performance is tied to tangible classroom outcomes - the rest depends on the principal's evaluation. So if we have good principals, they'll be sure to tie their reviews based upon teacher behavior - both towards students, but also towards faculty. Reward the superstars who not only have figured out how to help their students progress significantly during the year, but also give pointers to struggling teachers, share ideas, etc.
Our best teachers shouldn't fear being usurped. They, too, should be constantly striving to improve, not resting on their laurels.
grudznick You sound a lot like drive by blogger Little Bobby Ellis, talking points but no information. Im just curious here what exactly constitutes a slacker in the school system? Please be specific in your response. NAMES.
Also please give an example of “educrats and entitlist heathensâ€. Again lets have some names here. After all if you cant give some names that means either you don’t know what you are talking about or they just plain don’t exist.
The Blindman