Hollister educators are upset about Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s
proposal to tie teacher salary increases to merit rather than
tenure, saying the move will create bigger classrooms and impede
the quality of kids’ education.
Hollister – Hollister educators are upset about Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposal to tie teacher salary increases to merit rather than tenure, saying the move will create bigger classrooms and impede the quality of kids’ education.
“It shows a complete lack of understanding about the educational system works,” said Steve Kain, a history teacher at Marguerite Maze Middle School.
Kain supported Schwarzenegger during his gubernatorial campaign in 2003, but was dismayed when he heard the governor’s State of the State address last Wednesday. While Kain understands that California’s schools are in trouble, basing salary increases on teacher performance misses the point, he said.
“In his speech, the governor insinuated that he wants to get rid of bad teachers, but we already have a teacher shortage, so where will the new teachers come from?” he said.
That could lead to classes growing in size, and the merit system would lay the blame on educators while ignoring the bigger problem, Kain said.
“Is this going to be someone from the state who will determine whether a teacher is good, really good or excellent?” he asked.
Last week, Schwarzenegger said that in an attempt to heal California’s gaping budget crisis, the state had to “financially reward good teachers and expel those who are not. The more we reward excellent teachers, the more our teachers will be excellent,” he said. “The more we tolerate ineffective teachers, the more our teachers will be ineffective … I propose that teacher pay be tied to merit, not tenure … and that teacher employment be tied to performance, not to just showing up.”
The governor’s press office declined to elaborate on the details of the proposal. However, in his budget speech in Sacramento today, Gov. Schwarzenegger stressed that funding for education would increase by $2.9 billion in the 2005-2006 fiscal year and the majority would come out from Prop. 98. The ballot measure passed in the ’80s and guarantees funding for elementary and secondary schools.
However, the money is $1.1 billion less than the California Teachers’ Association expected, despite Schwarzenegger’s promise to not make cuts in education.
Other local teachers were also disappointed with the Schwarzenegger’s message during the State of the State address, especially after pinning high hopes on the new governor.
“I just feel like this is a slap in the face,” said Janet Masoni, a third grade teacher at Lad Lane Elementary.
Instead of placing the onus of academic success on teachers, the state should look at what parents are doing to help navigate their kids through their school years, she said.
At Masoni’s school, parent involvement is not as good as she would like it to be because parents are working full time while others are just not available to their kids.
“You have kids whose parents are fighting custody battles or are incarcerated and have their children being raised by grandparents or foster families,” she said.
Another reason the merit-based salary increases have never been implemented is because schools are intensely political, where teachers and administrators feud and take sides, said Dee Brown, president of the Hollister School District’s board of trustees.
“Schools are so political,” said Brown. “You can have a real outspoken teacher who is not that competent but who is popular and a quiet teacher who never says anything but then goes into the classroom and does amazing things with her students.”
Instead of looking at student performance alone to evaluate teachers, other things should be taken into consideration such as what parents and students think of the quality of their kids education, said Brown.
Randall Phelps, another Hollister school board member, said that Schwarzenegger’s speech glossed over the real issues without really addressing the problems.
“As usual, the governor likes to simplify the things and make them into good commercials instead of good policy,” he said.
Karina Ioffee covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at (831)637-5566 ext. 335 or [email protected].
