Is merit pay the future of our profession?

Posted by tamisue09, 11-09-2009

I will never understand how teachers can be held accountable for students who come to school and look at them and say, "I don't care!" No matter what we do, we will not be able to reach every student. Parents play such a huge role in education, and yet, we are the ones held responsible. It is not right or fair. If the child grows up in home where academics is not a top priority, how can we beat that? We may be good, but we are not God! There are just some things that we cannot break threw. Merit pay will only make the best teachers leave the profession. Our children will be left with the less than best and they will be the ones who will suffer. I see this everyday in my own room. I see it every parent/teacher conference. Some of these families just don't value education and there is nothing I can do to change their minds. Don't punish me because they believe differently than you and me. Don't punish me for something that I have no control over. For those who do think I have control over it, I would love to see how you would handle these families who are multi-generation welfare and teach their kids that this is the only way to live. We joke around that my area is the welfare capital of the world, but I do think it is very close for our state. People just don't change generations of living. If you have an idea, please, let me know. Nothing any of us have tried at my school has worked in all the years I have been here.

Posted by dmjablonski, 06-20-2009

Quality education will be a thing of the past!

The issues that educators face today are directly related to the misunderstanding of education in todays society. Education has gone from a family and community responsibility to the sole responsibility of the school. Politicians refuse to look at every aspect of education and focus primarily of teachers as the sole reason for success or lack there of. Never do they include the variables of socioeconomics, culture, parental support, etc.

Merit pay and charter schools are going to drive teachers away from the profession. Those that put their heart and sole into their teaching are leaving the profession because the fight is becoming to difficult. Teaching use to be about the children and helping them succeed. It is now about the politics and who to blame. Teachers want to be teachers who are respected in today's society. Merit pay will take that respect away and they will then find another profession.

Quality education as we know it will cease to exist, for quality educators will not put up with it!

Teaching Profession

Is merit pay the future of our profession?

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