I had to take a break from my Newbery book contender reviews to share this great resource I just stumbled upon with those of you who are teachers and/or educators. A site named Brad's Deals has compiled a list of 83 businesses that give some kind of price break to teachers and educators. A lot of them I knew about and already use--Barnes & Noble and Apple Computer and Jo Ann's Fabrics and such--but this list is MUCH more extensive than any I've seen before. It includes not only education-related businesses, like bookstores and craft stores and computers and educational supplies, but stores that sell lots of other things as well--cell phone, clothing, travel, contacts, insurance, vacation sites, and even pizza!
I haven't checked them out, and the article doesn't say, but usually these discounts are also available for homeschoolers, at least in stores around here.
Anyway, look over the list yourself here, and see if any of these resources can save you some money.
Showing posts with label teachers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teachers. Show all posts
Monday, January 9, 2012
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Do Charter School Burn Out Teachers?
Do charter school burn out teachers? That is the question raised by a recent study by educational researcher at the University of California at Berkeley.
In the study, the authors were looking at the statistical factors related to teachers leaving their schools. Teacher longevity at schools is correlated with positive educational outcomes, both among standardized test results as well as family satisfaction, student relationship building, and other "softer" measures of educational quality.
So the study, which was focused only on teachers in the Los Angeles school system, which can differ in many ways from most of the school systems in this country, is written in educational-ese and contains lots of data and statistics and such. I glazed over the statistics analysis and chi squares methodology and such that is part of such academic research, and I have a Masters in Education. But I think this graphic, taken from the report, can express one of the most important conclusions:
Click here to see the map in its original size.
The bottom line of this graphic is that I count 30 schools that have a teacher turnover rate of over 40%, and of that number, all but two are charter schools, which means that 93% of such high turnover schools are charters (and I don't know the exact statistics, but I think charter schools are only about 10% of all the schools in LA). So clearly, teachers are much more likely to leave charter schools than traditional public schools.
The question that the study doesn't address, however, is why. Charter teachers tend to be young; is that why more of them leave? (although more leave charter schools than is average for schools in general). Charter schools tend to be newer, which is also associated with higher turnover, but not at the rates seen in this study among the charter schools. Are the young teachers who work at charter schools more naive and/or idealistic than other young teachers, and thus leave when their fantasies encounter real educational situations? Are the demands of charter schools so intense that teachers can only maintain them for a year or two? Do the (sometimes) for-profit charter schools pay their teachers and/or offer fewer benefits or other incentives that make their staff leave for traditional schools? All of these explanations have been offered, but none have been proven.
So I don't know how to explain this data. But I do have a belief (which is backed up by some data) that students are better served by teachers with more experience and/or commitment to the school in which they teach. Therefore, I think the high teacher turnover rates should be at least a yellow caution light for those who seek to expand rapidly the charter school program (such as the Republican legislators, who this year lifted the 100-school cap on charter schools in North Carolina).
In the study, the authors were looking at the statistical factors related to teachers leaving their schools. Teacher longevity at schools is correlated with positive educational outcomes, both among standardized test results as well as family satisfaction, student relationship building, and other "softer" measures of educational quality.
So the study, which was focused only on teachers in the Los Angeles school system, which can differ in many ways from most of the school systems in this country, is written in educational-ese and contains lots of data and statistics and such. I glazed over the statistics analysis and chi squares methodology and such that is part of such academic research, and I have a Masters in Education. But I think this graphic, taken from the report, can express one of the most important conclusions:
Annual Teacher Turnover by School Size in LAUSD 2002 - 2007
Click here to see the map in its original size.
The bottom line of this graphic is that I count 30 schools that have a teacher turnover rate of over 40%, and of that number, all but two are charter schools, which means that 93% of such high turnover schools are charters (and I don't know the exact statistics, but I think charter schools are only about 10% of all the schools in LA). So clearly, teachers are much more likely to leave charter schools than traditional public schools.
The question that the study doesn't address, however, is why. Charter teachers tend to be young; is that why more of them leave? (although more leave charter schools than is average for schools in general). Charter schools tend to be newer, which is also associated with higher turnover, but not at the rates seen in this study among the charter schools. Are the young teachers who work at charter schools more naive and/or idealistic than other young teachers, and thus leave when their fantasies encounter real educational situations? Are the demands of charter schools so intense that teachers can only maintain them for a year or two? Do the (sometimes) for-profit charter schools pay their teachers and/or offer fewer benefits or other incentives that make their staff leave for traditional schools? All of these explanations have been offered, but none have been proven.
So I don't know how to explain this data. But I do have a belief (which is backed up by some data) that students are better served by teachers with more experience and/or commitment to the school in which they teach. Therefore, I think the high teacher turnover rates should be at least a yellow caution light for those who seek to expand rapidly the charter school program (such as the Republican legislators, who this year lifted the 100-school cap on charter schools in North Carolina).
Monday, June 27, 2011
What Are the 12 Qualities of a Good Teacher?
So before you read this blog post, take a few moments to answer that question for yourself. Maybe you don’t have 12, maybe you just have a couple of major ideas...but what comes to your mind when I ask “What makes a good teacher?”
I'll give you a minute...
This question was raised for me under the headline “The 12 Qualities of a Good Teacher,” which in turn was a link to a blog post in Chris Lehmann’s Practical Theory blog. A week and a half ago, I wrote a blog post about Lehmann’s approach to entrepreneurship in education that I thought was really inspirational, so I expected his take on teacher excellence to be enlightening.
However, just as I asked you to do, I tried coming up with my own list of the 12 qualities of good teachers. Here is what popped up in my mind in the order that they occurred to me, with a little explanation what they mean:
Caring--Teachers have to care about the kids and about their education. Otherwise, what’s the point?
Compassionate--Compassion goes beyond caring about the kids, but being able to empathize with their issues, their struggles, their worries, etc., whether directly related to the topic or subject area or not.
Creative--This is a favorite of mine. I think teachers should fine new and interesting ways to convey old and often well-worn truths...and brand-new ones as well.
Competent--Teachers must have a certain level of expertise, both in the subject area and in teaching capacity.
Organized--As much as I hate it, I can’t teach effectively unless I plan, I keep records, I order books or supplies in time for them to arrive by the class on that topic, I can find the books or supplies I already own in time for the class, and I get the right papers and materials to the right classes.
Good Communicator--Teachers these days are being called upon to communicate in more and more ways....not just speaking and writing, but producing podcasts and videos and blogging and tweeting. So it’s tough, and getting tougher. But how are you going to teach if you can’t get your point across? And being a good communicator is not just a one-way thing; it means being a good listener as well.
Flexible--Teachers plan, yes....but when stuff that wasn’t in the plan shows up, as is going to happen with children (really, with humans of any age, but more so when they are younger humans), they have to be able to take it in stride and deal with it.
Committed--Let’s face it--teaching is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a lot of work, and usually the benefits are not immediately evident. As the Chinese say, “One generation plants the tree, and another gets the shade.” You have to be willing to plant and plant and plant, and trust the shade will show up in months or even years to come.
Lifelong Learner--Why would we expect children to be willing to do the work of learning something new if we aren’t willing to do so ourselves? Plus, I'm convinced that the best teachers are the ones who love learning themselves.
Open minded--Personally, I think if teachers think they’ve got all the answers, or they’ve got everything figured out, or they are right all the time, then they are doomed.
Fair and respectful between and to students--Teachers need to respect students’ ideas and wishes and ways of doing things. They can’t always be accommodated, but they should not be dismissed out of hand. No matter how young they are, they have a level of control of their own lives that no one can--or should--overrule. And, of course, to the best of their abilities, they should not treat students differently in a way that disadvantages some compared to others.
Curious--Ideally, teachers never lose that urge to ask “Why?” or “Why not?” or “What if?”
Correct Priorities--This is one of my biggest gripes about modern institutionalized education. We are so busy measuring the tangible that we have no time to make the ineffable blossom. But it is those ineffable things--our loves, our passions, our beliefs, our unique personalities, our creativity, our faiths--that determine the success of humanity. Teachers must teach the tangible, but shouldn’t lose sight of bigger picture of making their students happy, fulfilled people.
After I came up with my list, I reviewed Lehmann’s top 12 qualities, which in his own words are:
To see the actual blog post, where he explains these in more detail, read his blog post.
I see a lot of similarities in our lists, and can trace of lot of differences to the disparate settings in which we teach. My perspective is that of a homeschooling mom, while Lehnmann runs an innovative high school, The Science Leadership Academy http://www.scienceleadership.org/, which is partnership effort between the Philadelphia school system and the Franklin Institute.
Finally, I thought I should get a student’s view of all this, so I asked my son for his list. These were his top qualities for a good teacher:
How about you? Did you have some desired qualities that we left off our list? Please share your top teaching qualities lists or characteristics in the comments below.
I'll give you a minute...
This question was raised for me under the headline “The 12 Qualities of a Good Teacher,” which in turn was a link to a blog post in Chris Lehmann’s Practical Theory blog. A week and a half ago, I wrote a blog post about Lehmann’s approach to entrepreneurship in education that I thought was really inspirational, so I expected his take on teacher excellence to be enlightening.
However, just as I asked you to do, I tried coming up with my own list of the 12 qualities of good teachers. Here is what popped up in my mind in the order that they occurred to me, with a little explanation what they mean:
Caring--Teachers have to care about the kids and about their education. Otherwise, what’s the point?
Compassionate--Compassion goes beyond caring about the kids, but being able to empathize with their issues, their struggles, their worries, etc., whether directly related to the topic or subject area or not.
Creative--This is a favorite of mine. I think teachers should fine new and interesting ways to convey old and often well-worn truths...and brand-new ones as well.
Competent--Teachers must have a certain level of expertise, both in the subject area and in teaching capacity.
Organized--As much as I hate it, I can’t teach effectively unless I plan, I keep records, I order books or supplies in time for them to arrive by the class on that topic, I can find the books or supplies I already own in time for the class, and I get the right papers and materials to the right classes.
Good Communicator--Teachers these days are being called upon to communicate in more and more ways....not just speaking and writing, but producing podcasts and videos and blogging and tweeting. So it’s tough, and getting tougher. But how are you going to teach if you can’t get your point across? And being a good communicator is not just a one-way thing; it means being a good listener as well.
Flexible--Teachers plan, yes....but when stuff that wasn’t in the plan shows up, as is going to happen with children (really, with humans of any age, but more so when they are younger humans), they have to be able to take it in stride and deal with it.
Committed--Let’s face it--teaching is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a lot of work, and usually the benefits are not immediately evident. As the Chinese say, “One generation plants the tree, and another gets the shade.” You have to be willing to plant and plant and plant, and trust the shade will show up in months or even years to come.
Lifelong Learner--Why would we expect children to be willing to do the work of learning something new if we aren’t willing to do so ourselves? Plus, I'm convinced that the best teachers are the ones who love learning themselves.
Open minded--Personally, I think if teachers think they’ve got all the answers, or they’ve got everything figured out, or they are right all the time, then they are doomed.
Fair and respectful between and to students--Teachers need to respect students’ ideas and wishes and ways of doing things. They can’t always be accommodated, but they should not be dismissed out of hand. No matter how young they are, they have a level of control of their own lives that no one can--or should--overrule. And, of course, to the best of their abilities, they should not treat students differently in a way that disadvantages some compared to others.
Curious--Ideally, teachers never lose that urge to ask “Why?” or “Why not?” or “What if?”
Correct Priorities--This is one of my biggest gripes about modern institutionalized education. We are so busy measuring the tangible that we have no time to make the ineffable blossom. But it is those ineffable things--our loves, our passions, our beliefs, our unique personalities, our creativity, our faiths--that determine the success of humanity. Teachers must teach the tangible, but shouldn’t lose sight of bigger picture of making their students happy, fulfilled people.
After I came up with my list, I reviewed Lehmann’s top 12 qualities, which in his own words are:
So what makes a great teacher?
1) Passion for teaching.
2) Love of kids.
3) Love of their subject.
4) Understand of the role of a school in a child's life.
5) A willingness to change. ... If you expect kids to be changed by their interaction with you, it's got to be a two-way street.
6) A work-ethic that doesn't quit.
7) A willingness to reflect.
8) Organization.
9) Understanding that being a "great teacher" is a constant struggle to always improve.
10) Enough ego to survive the hard days.
11) Enough humility to remember it's not about you. It's about the kids.
12) A willingness to work collaboratively.
To see the actual blog post, where he explains these in more detail, read his blog post.
I see a lot of similarities in our lists, and can trace of lot of differences to the disparate settings in which we teach. My perspective is that of a homeschooling mom, while Lehnmann runs an innovative high school, The Science Leadership Academy http://www.scienceleadership.org/, which is partnership effort between the Philadelphia school system and the Franklin Institute.
Finally, I thought I should get a student’s view of all this, so I asked my son for his list. These were his top qualities for a good teacher:
- Know how to deal with kids
- Being a mom
- Being nice and kind to people
- Being experienced in teaching and in the subject
- Has loose discipline, but not too loose
- Is overcompetent and overachieving (Note: he explained that this means putting a lot of work into lesson planning and preparation...more work than he thinks he would be willing to do.)
- Can improvise
- Follows students ideas, interests, passions, and skills
- Teaches each kid differently (individualizes instruction)
- Cares about kids
How about you? Did you have some desired qualities that we left off our list? Please share your top teaching qualities lists or characteristics in the comments below.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Educational Documentary: American Teacher
This is another documentary about education that should be coming out this year. This one, American Teacher, does not focus on the next "revolution" that is supposed to save American education. Rather, this one looks at the everyday, average teachers--the impact they have can on our children, and how relatively little they are compensated for it.
American Teacher is an outgrowth of The Teacher Salary Project, which is itself an outgrowth of the book, Teachers Have It Easy: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America's Teachers, by Dave Eggers, Ninive Clements Calegari, and Daniel Moulthrop. The book and the movie both tell the tales of how much good teachers have to give of themselves to do what should be one of the most important jobs in our society--educating our children.
Here are some eye-opening statistics from the website:
American Teacher is an outgrowth of The Teacher Salary Project, which is itself an outgrowth of the book, Teachers Have It Easy: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America's Teachers, by Dave Eggers, Ninive Clements Calegari, and Daniel Moulthrop. The book and the movie both tell the tales of how much good teachers have to give of themselves to do what should be one of the most important jobs in our society--educating our children.
Here are some eye-opening statistics from the website:
- 92.4% of teachers spent there own money to buy educational supplies (2007-2008)
- 62% of teachers work at second jobs outside the classroom, EVEN THOUGH
- The average workday for teachers is 10 hour per day
- Only 4.7 percent of college juniors say they would considering teaching as a profession at the current salary level
- In 1970, the average difference in starting salaries in New York City between lawyers and teachers was $2,000. In 201, the difference between the two professions averages out to first-year lawyers making about $115,000 more than first-year teachers.
- 46% of public school teachers quit teaching within five years
I haven't seen the movie, but it sounds like a breath of fresh air after so many documentaries, policies, and high-profile educators who act like teachers are the enemy. On the contrary, of the teachers I know personally, they are some of the most committed, overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated people I know.
The movie has been previewed in Washington DC and New York City, but there is no news about the date of its release or the places that will hold screenings. However, you can sign up for their mailing list to receive notice if it is coming to a place near you.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
A Different Kind of Art Class
Today was my son's last art class for this academic year at the art studio where he has been going for the past few years. Art is my son's favorite activity right now, so it is probably the one class he would be glad to continue year round. However, it is nice to have a few months without weekly obligations, and there are lots of ways that he can continue to do his art.
I do want to give some public acknowledgement to his art teacher, however, because of the different approach she takes to art. Her name is Jenny Eggleston, and her art studio is called "Egg in Nest." She is both a wonderful artist herself and a gifted teacher--and what more can we ask for when looking for teachers for our children?
But here is why she is a PERFECT teacher for a student like my son. Jenny's classes are different than most classes in that she doesn't "teach" the class a certain technique or project or whatever. Rather, Jenny's classes are multi-age, multi-media, and multi-project. That is, she accepts students from elementary through high school--all in the same class--and allows each student to work on his or her own passions, interests, or priorities. She is prepared to supply all sorts of media--colored pencils, pastels, charcoal, watercolors, oil paints, collage, digital art, etc.--and all sorts of inspiration, in terms of historic and contemporary themes or artists. While each student works on her or his own project, she circulates around and gives individual assistance or guidance on art techniques, media usage, or composition. She sometimes initiates a group project, and holds a public art exhibit, based around a common theme, each semester. For the past two years, at least, the spring theme has been combining poetry and art, which I wrote about in an earlier post. However, other themes are centered around raising money for a fellow student who needed an organ transplant, and creating art to comfort, connect with, and encourage our troops overseas.
So while this approach may not appeal to all students and/or parents, if your child wants someone who acts more like an art coach than a traditional teacher, I don't know anyone better than Jenny Eggleston. She has been a real gift to my son. And she is an inspiration to me as a teacher as an example that everyone doesn't have to be following the same path for great education to be taking place.
IF you are lucky enough to live in the Raleigh/Cary/Apex area and would like to check out her teaching style this summer, she is offering some week-long art camps for different age groups that you can read about from her website. For example, my son is signed up for a middle school/high school camp where they will work with a professional poet to produce a book combining art and poetry. We are both really excited to see what he will produce out of that week of classes!
I do want to give some public acknowledgement to his art teacher, however, because of the different approach she takes to art. Her name is Jenny Eggleston, and her art studio is called "Egg in Nest." She is both a wonderful artist herself and a gifted teacher--and what more can we ask for when looking for teachers for our children?
But here is why she is a PERFECT teacher for a student like my son. Jenny's classes are different than most classes in that she doesn't "teach" the class a certain technique or project or whatever. Rather, Jenny's classes are multi-age, multi-media, and multi-project. That is, she accepts students from elementary through high school--all in the same class--and allows each student to work on his or her own passions, interests, or priorities. She is prepared to supply all sorts of media--colored pencils, pastels, charcoal, watercolors, oil paints, collage, digital art, etc.--and all sorts of inspiration, in terms of historic and contemporary themes or artists. While each student works on her or his own project, she circulates around and gives individual assistance or guidance on art techniques, media usage, or composition. She sometimes initiates a group project, and holds a public art exhibit, based around a common theme, each semester. For the past two years, at least, the spring theme has been combining poetry and art, which I wrote about in an earlier post. However, other themes are centered around raising money for a fellow student who needed an organ transplant, and creating art to comfort, connect with, and encourage our troops overseas.
So while this approach may not appeal to all students and/or parents, if your child wants someone who acts more like an art coach than a traditional teacher, I don't know anyone better than Jenny Eggleston. She has been a real gift to my son. And she is an inspiration to me as a teacher as an example that everyone doesn't have to be following the same path for great education to be taking place.
IF you are lucky enough to live in the Raleigh/Cary/Apex area and would like to check out her teaching style this summer, she is offering some week-long art camps for different age groups that you can read about from her website. For example, my son is signed up for a middle school/high school camp where they will work with a professional poet to produce a book combining art and poetry. We are both really excited to see what he will produce out of that week of classes!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Curriculum Resource: History Teachers Music Videos, or History a la Gaga
This is a wonderful learning resource I got from my friend Michelle, who maintains two great web presences: she runs the website Homeschool Literature, which reviews books with protagonists who homeschool, as well as blogs on her own homeschooling experience at Pandahoneybee's Homeschooling Adventure.
Anyway, Michelle turned me on to the series of YouTube videos being done on the Historyteachers channel called History for Music Lovers. In these videos, actual teachers dress up in cheesy wigs and costumes and change the lyrics to popular pop or rock songs to teach actual history content. But lead vocalist and actress Amy Burvall is a good singer, and looks like she is have a lot of fun while actually conveying historical information. She's like a real life Holly Holiday, the Gwyneth Paltrow character on Glee, except that she sings about her subject matter instead of her students' love lives!
To get an idea of her work, check out this video on the French Revolution, set to Lady Gaga's song, Bad Romance:
And just like everyone remembers that "In 1400 and 92, Columbus sailed the ocean blue," so no modern middle schooler will ever forget the year of the Norman Invasion after watching this version of the story of William the Conqueror set to Justin Timberlake's Sexyback:
She has a lot of videos set to songs from the 80s, such as this hilarious one about Charlemagne, based on Blondie's Call Me:"
But some go back to the 60s, including several Beatles' songs and this classic by the Mamas and the Papas (except this time it is about The Canterbury Tales):
I also love the way that Burvall tries to incorporate some of the look or dance moves of the original artist in addition to all the historic content. But in addition to how much fun they are, and how well they incorporate some key facts and figures about the subject of each video, what is really remarkable about these is that Burvall wrote and recorded many of them while she was undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. However, when her hair fell out, it gave her an excuse to go buy more wigs, and she used the insomnia produced by the cancer drugs as an opportunity to write more songs.
So kudos to Amy Burvall and her video partner, fellow teacher Herb Mahelona, for creating some wonderful educational videos IN their spare time after a full day of teaching and (in Burvall's case) while deal with a baby and breast cancer (thankfully, Burvall has been in remission now for about four years). All in all, they've made about 52 videos on all sort of subjects in world history, particularly ancient history. It's a great testimony to the wonderfully creative ways to approach their subjects that outstanding teachers take...that is, when all of their time and energy isn't tied up taking standardized tests.
Anyway, Michelle turned me on to the series of YouTube videos being done on the Historyteachers channel called History for Music Lovers. In these videos, actual teachers dress up in cheesy wigs and costumes and change the lyrics to popular pop or rock songs to teach actual history content. But lead vocalist and actress Amy Burvall is a good singer, and looks like she is have a lot of fun while actually conveying historical information. She's like a real life Holly Holiday, the Gwyneth Paltrow character on Glee, except that she sings about her subject matter instead of her students' love lives!
To get an idea of her work, check out this video on the French Revolution, set to Lady Gaga's song, Bad Romance:
And just like everyone remembers that "In 1400 and 92, Columbus sailed the ocean blue," so no modern middle schooler will ever forget the year of the Norman Invasion after watching this version of the story of William the Conqueror set to Justin Timberlake's Sexyback:
She has a lot of videos set to songs from the 80s, such as this hilarious one about Charlemagne, based on Blondie's Call Me:"
But some go back to the 60s, including several Beatles' songs and this classic by the Mamas and the Papas (except this time it is about The Canterbury Tales):
I also love the way that Burvall tries to incorporate some of the look or dance moves of the original artist in addition to all the historic content. But in addition to how much fun they are, and how well they incorporate some key facts and figures about the subject of each video, what is really remarkable about these is that Burvall wrote and recorded many of them while she was undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. However, when her hair fell out, it gave her an excuse to go buy more wigs, and she used the insomnia produced by the cancer drugs as an opportunity to write more songs.
So kudos to Amy Burvall and her video partner, fellow teacher Herb Mahelona, for creating some wonderful educational videos IN their spare time after a full day of teaching and (in Burvall's case) while deal with a baby and breast cancer (thankfully, Burvall has been in remission now for about four years). All in all, they've made about 52 videos on all sort of subjects in world history, particularly ancient history. It's a great testimony to the wonderfully creative ways to approach their subjects that outstanding teachers take...that is, when all of their time and energy isn't tied up taking standardized tests.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Research Study Shows Merit Pay for Teachers Doesn't Work
A study of what I view as one of the biggest issues in education reform announced its findings this week, and I don't the results have gotten nearly the attention they deserve. (And if my opinions aren't sufficient for you this is important enough to read, also know that the study focused on middle school teachers.)
The National Center for Performance Incentives at Vanderbilt has just completed what they say is the first rigorous scientific study on the concept of merit pay--that is, paying teachers more or giving them bonuses if their class results on standardized tests rises. This study followed 300 5th-8th grade math teachers for two years. Half of the teachers were offered bonuses of different levels, up to $15,000 per year, for improvements on the Tennessee standardized exam on math that is used as part of the federal No Child Left Behind Initiative. As with many such studies, the research had some good news and the bad news (depending on how you look at it).
So here is my interpretation of the study:
The Bad News: Merit pay didn't work. Even offering an extra $15,000 didn't result in higher test scores--and this was in Tennessee, which is ranked 34th in the country in terms of teacher compensation by the American Federation of Teachers, with an average teacher salary in 2007 of $43,815 (compared to a national average of $51,009 or a high of $63,640 in California). That is to say, offering a bonus of one third of their salaries didn't make a difference in student scores.
The Good News: The reasons teacher reported that scores didn't rise was they were already doing all they could possible do. Or, to look at it from the other side, even without monetary rewards for student achievement, teachers are already giving everything they have to support their students.
I think this is an incredibly important piece of news that deserves more attention.
This is not to say that some teachers might not be able to do a better job. But if those teachers don't know how to teach well, just offering money is not going to suddenly make them better teachers. They need other things--mentoring, more training, more staff support, or whatever. And for all those good teachers out there--which I believe is the majority--it just shows that they aren't motivated by money. They are teachers because they care, they enjoy it, they know they are making a difference in children's lives, and all sorts of things like this.
This study should not be used to justify inadequate pay for teachers. Most teachers I know don't think they get enough money for the important role they play in our society--and I agree. But they aren't looking for higher salaries because then they will be "more motivated" to serve their children, because they won't be--they are already highly motivated. They want more pay as recognition for the critical work they do, not as a carrot to get them to "care more."
So I think this study is a terrific commendation of teachers and how much they work and give and care, regardless of their compensation. And to me, it is another great example of why trying to apply typical industrial or business practices to education doesn't work. Our schools are not like car dealerships or assembly line plants or stock brokerages; different rules, different dynamics apply there.
Finally, on a local note--I hope the Wake County School Board (the one that is talking about bringing in a "business leader" to run the school system) considers the implications of this study as they decide about the new Superintendent for this 158 school, nearly 140,000 school system (2009-2010 figures).
The National Center for Performance Incentives at Vanderbilt has just completed what they say is the first rigorous scientific study on the concept of merit pay--that is, paying teachers more or giving them bonuses if their class results on standardized tests rises. This study followed 300 5th-8th grade math teachers for two years. Half of the teachers were offered bonuses of different levels, up to $15,000 per year, for improvements on the Tennessee standardized exam on math that is used as part of the federal No Child Left Behind Initiative. As with many such studies, the research had some good news and the bad news (depending on how you look at it).
So here is my interpretation of the study:
The Bad News: Merit pay didn't work. Even offering an extra $15,000 didn't result in higher test scores--and this was in Tennessee, which is ranked 34th in the country in terms of teacher compensation by the American Federation of Teachers, with an average teacher salary in 2007 of $43,815 (compared to a national average of $51,009 or a high of $63,640 in California). That is to say, offering a bonus of one third of their salaries didn't make a difference in student scores.
The Good News: The reasons teacher reported that scores didn't rise was they were already doing all they could possible do. Or, to look at it from the other side, even without monetary rewards for student achievement, teachers are already giving everything they have to support their students.
I think this is an incredibly important piece of news that deserves more attention.
This is not to say that some teachers might not be able to do a better job. But if those teachers don't know how to teach well, just offering money is not going to suddenly make them better teachers. They need other things--mentoring, more training, more staff support, or whatever. And for all those good teachers out there--which I believe is the majority--it just shows that they aren't motivated by money. They are teachers because they care, they enjoy it, they know they are making a difference in children's lives, and all sorts of things like this.
This study should not be used to justify inadequate pay for teachers. Most teachers I know don't think they get enough money for the important role they play in our society--and I agree. But they aren't looking for higher salaries because then they will be "more motivated" to serve their children, because they won't be--they are already highly motivated. They want more pay as recognition for the critical work they do, not as a carrot to get them to "care more."
So I think this study is a terrific commendation of teachers and how much they work and give and care, regardless of their compensation. And to me, it is another great example of why trying to apply typical industrial or business practices to education doesn't work. Our schools are not like car dealerships or assembly line plants or stock brokerages; different rules, different dynamics apply there.
Finally, on a local note--I hope the Wake County School Board (the one that is talking about bringing in a "business leader" to run the school system) considers the implications of this study as they decide about the new Superintendent for this 158 school, nearly 140,000 school system (2009-2010 figures).
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