Part of House Bill 2 ... now under consideration in the Senate .... states that not only would I be responsible for earning my own Incentive (Merit) Pay .... I would also be responsible for the Merit Pay of every teacher in my school.
Here is how it goes.
There are many teachers in a school who do not teach TAKS tested subjects .... Art teachers, Foreign Language teachers, Home Ec. teachers, Band, Cheerleading, PE .... and so on. To them, it isn't fair that some teachers might qualify for an extra $5,000 a year because they do teach TAKS tested classes (Math, English, Science, and Social Studies). SOOOOoooooo .... the Legislature decided that if a school on the whole performs well on all sections of the TAKS tests, then all teachers in the school will get the bonus, no matter what they teach.
Sounds reasonable, right?
WRONG!!!
During the history of Testing in Texas .... the past 20 years .... Mathematics has been the low scorer consistently. Even in some of the best school districts, Math scores are the lowest scores. I have dealt with that the whole time. And that was fine. I teach Math. Math is hard for a lot of people. My students normally do pretty well on the Tests. My pressure has always been to get the kids to graduate. They have to pass TAKS to graduate. That is important to me.
Now .... my burden becomes the BONUSES of EVERY TEACHER IN MY BUILDING!! What if my classes are low and slow and uncaring? The 10th grade test results determine our school's ranking .... but it is the 11th grade tests that determine if a student graduates. The 10th graders have NO INCENTIVE to try. There are no repercussions if they fail. NONE.
I teach 10th grade Math.
I have students in my classes who took 3 attempts to pass Algebra I .... I have students for whom this is their 3rd or 4th attempt at passing Geometry!! I work with them. Many of them do well with me .... better than they normally do! And they may even do better on the next TAKS than they did on the last one ... but better might not be good enough ....
And suddenly .... no one in the school gets a bonus because of ME.
No thank you.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Incentive pay for Teachers ....
I am a High School Math teacher in my 22nd year of teaching in Texas public schools. I have mixed emotions about incentive pay for teachers.
I do believe teachers need to be paid more for the work that they do.
I do not believe that simply putting in another year in the classroom is reason enough to give a teacher a raise.
I would be in support of Incentive Pay for teachers if:
A) My students were tested at the beginning of the semester to establish a baseline of present knowledge.
B) I then teach my students the material I am required to teach them in the best ways I possibly can throughout the entire semester.
C) At the end of the semester the students are tested again .... over the material that I taught them and the baseline material ... to see if they gained in knowledge.
D) If a student has been out of my class due to absences or for disciplinary reasons .... even if they have been in a school based disciplinary program .... for 5 or more days in an 18 week period .... I would NOT be held accountable for that student's scores. Five days of a 90 minute/day class is equivalent to 10 days of a regular 45 minutes class ... and is a lot of lost learning time.
I believe this to be a fair and just basis for awarding Incentive pay to teachers.
With the system as it is now, I am against Incentive Pay for Teachers because:
A) I teach the low to average students with a high percentage of Special Ed. and ESL and disciplinary problem students tossed in for good measure. If the performance of my students is to be judged against the performance of students in Gifted/Talented or Pre-AP and AP classes ... I won't ever stand a chance of earning more money.
B) I teach Geometry to 10th graders. YET .... the TAKS test they take in 10th grade covers Algebra I and Middle School Math. I would be judged on how well they learned math in other teachers' classes last year and years before, NOT on the material I am teaching them now. My 10th grade students will not actually be TAKS tested on Geometry until Spring of their 11th grade year .... while they are in an Algebra II class with a different teacher. Would I be judged then on how well they did on the material I taught them over a year previous, or would the Algebra II teacher be held accountable for their scores on the 11th grade TAKS test which tests mostly the Geometry that they learned A YEAR AGO.
C) I would feel very strongly pressured to "teach to the test" which would mean that in my "Geometry" class I would focus all my energies on being sure my students can do Algebra I backwards and forwards and upside-down. I would make sure all basic Middle-School Math concepts are absolutely mastered. Geometry covers a very different area of topics, which is why it is a separate class from Algebra I. I would only cover the topics I knew would be tested on the TAKS test my students would be taking .... because that determines money for me.
D) As it stands .... I am judged by the performance of every student on my roll sheet ... regardless of how much time they actually spent in my classroom. If they move to my school 2 weeks before the TAKS, their score is my problem. If they had surgery and missed 2 weeks of school, still my problem. I actually have some students on my roll whom I have never met, and will never meet because they are in Alternative Education Placement for disciplinary reasons. I have to send them lessons and grade whatever work I get back from them ... but I do not teach them.
E) I have students with IQ's ranging from 75-150+. A student with a 75 IQ will never become a student with a 100(average) IQ .... no matter how well I teach them. They will never MASTER the TAKS Math tests. I would hope I could raise their TAKS scores through time spent in my class, but their IQ will always hamper their achievement.
F) Believe it or not, some teenagers just flat do not care to learn. They are only in school because the law says they HAVE to be. They do not try. They do not care. I can pour love and patience and hours and expertise into these students and they still will not care. Failure has no effect on them. These students could cost me my bonus.
I do believe teachers need to be paid more for the work that they do.
I do not believe that simply putting in another year in the classroom is reason enough to give a teacher a raise.
I would be in support of Incentive Pay for teachers if:
A) My students were tested at the beginning of the semester to establish a baseline of present knowledge.
B) I then teach my students the material I am required to teach them in the best ways I possibly can throughout the entire semester.
C) At the end of the semester the students are tested again .... over the material that I taught them and the baseline material ... to see if they gained in knowledge.
D) If a student has been out of my class due to absences or for disciplinary reasons .... even if they have been in a school based disciplinary program .... for 5 or more days in an 18 week period .... I would NOT be held accountable for that student's scores. Five days of a 90 minute/day class is equivalent to 10 days of a regular 45 minutes class ... and is a lot of lost learning time.
I believe this to be a fair and just basis for awarding Incentive pay to teachers.
With the system as it is now, I am against Incentive Pay for Teachers because:
A) I teach the low to average students with a high percentage of Special Ed. and ESL and disciplinary problem students tossed in for good measure. If the performance of my students is to be judged against the performance of students in Gifted/Talented or Pre-AP and AP classes ... I won't ever stand a chance of earning more money.
B) I teach Geometry to 10th graders. YET .... the TAKS test they take in 10th grade covers Algebra I and Middle School Math. I would be judged on how well they learned math in other teachers' classes last year and years before, NOT on the material I am teaching them now. My 10th grade students will not actually be TAKS tested on Geometry until Spring of their 11th grade year .... while they are in an Algebra II class with a different teacher. Would I be judged then on how well they did on the material I taught them over a year previous, or would the Algebra II teacher be held accountable for their scores on the 11th grade TAKS test which tests mostly the Geometry that they learned A YEAR AGO.
C) I would feel very strongly pressured to "teach to the test" which would mean that in my "Geometry" class I would focus all my energies on being sure my students can do Algebra I backwards and forwards and upside-down. I would make sure all basic Middle-School Math concepts are absolutely mastered. Geometry covers a very different area of topics, which is why it is a separate class from Algebra I. I would only cover the topics I knew would be tested on the TAKS test my students would be taking .... because that determines money for me.
D) As it stands .... I am judged by the performance of every student on my roll sheet ... regardless of how much time they actually spent in my classroom. If they move to my school 2 weeks before the TAKS, their score is my problem. If they had surgery and missed 2 weeks of school, still my problem. I actually have some students on my roll whom I have never met, and will never meet because they are in Alternative Education Placement for disciplinary reasons. I have to send them lessons and grade whatever work I get back from them ... but I do not teach them.
E) I have students with IQ's ranging from 75-150+. A student with a 75 IQ will never become a student with a 100(average) IQ .... no matter how well I teach them. They will never MASTER the TAKS Math tests. I would hope I could raise their TAKS scores through time spent in my class, but their IQ will always hamper their achievement.
F) Believe it or not, some teenagers just flat do not care to learn. They are only in school because the law says they HAVE to be. They do not try. They do not care. I can pour love and patience and hours and expertise into these students and they still will not care. Failure has no effect on them. These students could cost me my bonus.
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
I Have a New Attitude ....
I am happy!! There is a lightness to my step .... a bit of joy in my soul .... I have 39 more school days left in the Public School system. I can do this! No matter what silliness the Texas Legislature comes up with next. No matter what TEA decides to do to TAKS scores. I will finally be in control of my future.
I am a burned out teacher.
Don't get me wrong ... I LOVE TEACHING!! I love teaching Math. I love teaching teenagers .... even the troubled ones. And I plan to continue teaching .... just in an environment which I control.
I have been teaching for 22 years in the Texas School System. I was here for the beginning of "No Pass/No Play" and for the beginning of state controlled standardized testing in Texas schools. TEAMS became TAAS become TAKS .... and now the legislature is in session and working on passing new and wonderful ways to torture students and teachers alike.
The straw that broke this camel's back came in the form of "years until I can retire". I have operated for the past 22 years under what is called the "Rule of 80" which says that when my years experience plus my age add up to 80 I will be allowed to retire and draw my full retirement pay from the Teacher's Retirement System .... an entity into which I have paid money for 22 years now. It is the Social Security of Texas teachers. (Edit 3-31-05 ... Several teachers have told me that even if I were to reach the Rule of 80, I would still have to wait until I am 55 to begin to collect my retirement. I didn't know this little fact .... glad to know it now ... it still doesn't change the way I feel.)
Well .... at the end of this schoool year, I was to have only 6.5 more years to teach until I would have qualified for retirement. I would have gone the full 7 years giving me 29 years teaching and my age would be 52 .... for a total of 81 ... and therefore Full Retirement.
BUT NOOOOOOooooooooo ..... somebody in Austin .... I can't remember if it is the Texas Education Agency, or the State Board of Education, or the Legislature, or TRS itself .... somebody has decided to cancel the Rule of 80 for anyone with more than 5 years left to teach. These teachers must now instead teach until they are 60 to qualify for full retirement.
Suddenly, instead of 7 years left, I have 15 years left .... AND .... what promise do I have that as I approach age 60 they won't raise the age to 65 .... then 69 ....??? I feel like my retirement is being held like a carrott out in front of the donkey .... hmmmmm .... what does that make me??
That was the kicker ... the straw .... the other shoe .... whatever metaphor you want to use .... I decided to QUIT.
And I feel much better now, thank you very much.
I still have 8 more weeks of this school year left ... and one of those weeks we will be TAKS testing the whole week .... I'll document those days when we get there ...
I have told my students I am leaving. They really don't care too much because I will finish their classes with them and they wouldn't have a chance to have me again as a teacher anyway. Many are very happy for me, although sad to see me go. I'd like to think I will leave a great empty void here at TCHS that won't ever be filled .... however, it will probably be more like the hole a pebble makes when it hits a lake ..... along with the symbolic ripples ...
I am a burned out teacher.
Don't get me wrong ... I LOVE TEACHING!! I love teaching Math. I love teaching teenagers .... even the troubled ones. And I plan to continue teaching .... just in an environment which I control.
I have been teaching for 22 years in the Texas School System. I was here for the beginning of "No Pass/No Play" and for the beginning of state controlled standardized testing in Texas schools. TEAMS became TAAS become TAKS .... and now the legislature is in session and working on passing new and wonderful ways to torture students and teachers alike.
The straw that broke this camel's back came in the form of "years until I can retire". I have operated for the past 22 years under what is called the "Rule of 80" which says that when my years experience plus my age add up to 80 I will be allowed to retire and draw my full retirement pay from the Teacher's Retirement System .... an entity into which I have paid money for 22 years now. It is the Social Security of Texas teachers. (Edit 3-31-05 ... Several teachers have told me that even if I were to reach the Rule of 80, I would still have to wait until I am 55 to begin to collect my retirement. I didn't know this little fact .... glad to know it now ... it still doesn't change the way I feel.)
Well .... at the end of this schoool year, I was to have only 6.5 more years to teach until I would have qualified for retirement. I would have gone the full 7 years giving me 29 years teaching and my age would be 52 .... for a total of 81 ... and therefore Full Retirement.
BUT NOOOOOOooooooooo ..... somebody in Austin .... I can't remember if it is the Texas Education Agency, or the State Board of Education, or the Legislature, or TRS itself .... somebody has decided to cancel the Rule of 80 for anyone with more than 5 years left to teach. These teachers must now instead teach until they are 60 to qualify for full retirement.
Suddenly, instead of 7 years left, I have 15 years left .... AND .... what promise do I have that as I approach age 60 they won't raise the age to 65 .... then 69 ....??? I feel like my retirement is being held like a carrott out in front of the donkey .... hmmmmm .... what does that make me??
That was the kicker ... the straw .... the other shoe .... whatever metaphor you want to use .... I decided to QUIT.
And I feel much better now, thank you very much.
I still have 8 more weeks of this school year left ... and one of those weeks we will be TAKS testing the whole week .... I'll document those days when we get there ...
I have told my students I am leaving. They really don't care too much because I will finish their classes with them and they wouldn't have a chance to have me again as a teacher anyway. Many are very happy for me, although sad to see me go. I'd like to think I will leave a great empty void here at TCHS that won't ever be filled .... however, it will probably be more like the hole a pebble makes when it hits a lake ..... along with the symbolic ripples ...
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