Leonard Pitts jumps on the teacher-bashing bandwagon.

[Reader Rabbit]

http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/leonard-pitts/story/771759.html

I must say, I'm both disappointed and surprised. I had to check to make sure the column wasn't written by Hannity, Limbaugh, or the like.

[SteppingRazor]

1. Sounds like Pitts is in the same boat with Obama.

The President-elect has supported similar merit-based teacher salaries, so I'd hardly say this sort of thing is solely the realm of people like Hannity and Limbaugh.

[LWolf]

10. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly,

many are jumping on the merit pay bandwagon, now that Obama is the president-elect. I don't know if we'll have the support in Congress to squash it when it comes around, and make no mistake: it will be "on the table." Democrats wouldn't stand up to hold GWB and his administration accountable; who expects them to oppose one of their own?

[leftofcool]

2. As a retired teacher,

he makes some valid points. There are some extremely bad teachers out there but because they have tenure and a union card, they still teach. This is really a no win situation. We don't want to do away with the union but we need to get rid of the bad teachers and replace them with some younger teachers with fresh ideas for 21st century kids.

[SharonAnn]

4. Then the unions need to take action. Either participate in developing performance

guidelines, or the union should develop them.

Unions should be in support of quality work. Professional associations should be in support of high standards for their profession.

I say that this is the same as doctors and law enforcement personnel. No keeping incompetent people practicing. Get rid of them or the public will rise up and set the rules for you.

FYI, I'm from a medical family and know that some of this community protect too many dangerous professionals.

[HelenWheels]

8. There are always way to fire those that deserve it

and they even manage to fire those that don't. They (administration) just has to be willing to put in the time and document the failings of the teacher. I suspect they don't like to because it can show up other people's faults and they sure don't want their "yes man" middle management to be shown for what they are, cheerleaders for whatever upper management wants. Schools aren't the only place they claim the union keeps them from firing incompetent people it's just an excuse to bash the union.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. The main argument I have with merit pay is the criteria.

I've worked as a teacher under administrators who have been so far removed from the teaching process that they only understand numbers as the only way to show "successful" classrooms like stockholders use profits to purchase, keep, or sell their shares. They are dismissive of the challenges that prevent the optimum teaching experience.

Teaching is highly complex and sometimes the numbers just aren't there.

And conversely, administrators can use merit pay to reward "cooperative" teachers who make the administrators look competent and productive.

I can see a lot of potential lawsuits, e.g., defamation, for good teachers who didn't get merit pay and that lack by itself indicates that they AREN'T "good" teachers and hurts their reputations.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. And I want to know how we decide how much the counselor makes

and the nurse and the music teacher. I teach special ed and if a merit pay system depended on student performance, I would never get a raise.

There are just too many unanswered questions.

[midnight]

5. I'm not familiar with this journalist. I wonder why the union and

Michelle Rhee are not collaborating? I'm all for teachers getting paid more, but get rid of those "warm bodies" you call teachers. There are some real bad ones "teachers" out there.

[azurnoir]

6. The only ones worried about this are

teachers who enjoy drawing a paycheck for minimal performance.

[snappyturtle]

7. Until the value of an education ranks high among families in this

nation, nothing will be achieved.

It seems to me too many are looking for instant gratification in education. We need to look at what's working globally that employers here seem hell bent on hiring. How about some honest talk with parents and students about the importance of education in relationship to the quality of life after the education years? I mean, sit down and put it to them. You either start engaging students in purposeful courses or offer them service jobs for the rest of their meager lives. I also believe higher education, for those who meet the standards (higher), should be subsidized in some way. PE Obama seems to offer hope in that department.

As long as sports programs and extra-curricular activities are used as carrots, the true purpose of an education will come up short. I taught inner city high school level for eight wonderful years. Unfortunately, the school where I taught has gone downhill. I have lots of theories on that. Too many to be listed here.

What I see coming up on the education horizon is privatization. Those who can afford private schools will excel; those who can't afford them, well........... As far as I am concerned, privatization is the goal of NCLB.