There’s no doubt public educators both locally and throughout
the state were disappointed with Governor Schwarzenegger’s budget
plan that provides a 2.2 percent increase in spending per student,
but is still shy $1.1 billion of what the school system hoped
for.
There’s no doubt public educators both locally and throughout the state were disappointed with Governor Schwarzenegger’s budget plan that provides a 2.2 percent increase in spending per student, but is still shy $1.1 billion of what the school system hoped for.
However, teachers and school administrators shouldn’t cross their arms and close their ears over the governor’s idea to tackle budget problems in local schools by placing educators on a merit-based pay raise system. It could make a tremendous difference in one of public education’s largest expenses – it’s employees – and if done intelligently would reward the best teachers while driving out the worst.
Undoubtedly any exploration of a merit-based system would need the input of teachers and administrators who have the esoteric knowledge of the challenges schools and their teachers face. It simply cannot be another state mandate dropped onto the already overburdened education system.
Obviously all teachers should receive an annual cost-of-living increase that reflects inflation, but the education system would do well to mirror the private sector when it comes to pay increases. Businesses do not automatically grant pay raises to every employee, good or bad. If they did, it’s likely most would be as broke as many California school districts. If schools seek the solvency of the private sector, they must emulate its business models which includes increasing pay based on merit.
The real question isn’t should teachers be rewarded by merit, but how merit should be determined in a world where student performance is influenced by things such as economic areas, parental involvement and class size – all elements even the greatest teachers cannot control.
But should merit-based be a dirty word to educators in the state? It certainly makes sense to reward effective educators, motivate all teachers to strive for improvement and cut pay roll costs by eliminating automatic pay raises whether someone deserves it or not.
Educators should embrace exploring a merit-based pay system to see if it could be part of a solution to improve a public school system that is obviously broken when it comes to paying the bills. It shouldn’t be categorically opposed simply because educators are used to getting more money regardless of if they deserve it.
Hiding behind the argument that any cut to education harms children and destroys their futures is a cheap political facade intended to protect the status quo, not evoke the obvious need to find some solution to our educational funding problems.
