Correspondent: Merit-Based Pay Doesn’t Always Apply
Merit-Based Pay Doesn't Always Apply
Editor, Times-Dispatch: Regarding the editorial, "In Obama's Defense": You criticized the National Education Association for taking on our president in regard to his desire to promote merit pay linked to student test scores. I am an NEA member and I am thankful that NEA is standing up for me in this regard.
Merit pay based on student scores sounds like a good idea to those who look at education from a distance, but if you know the workings of our schools, you find the ideas more complex than you might imagine.
Assessment of teacher performance based on test scores requires that students be randomly assigned. I know of no division in Virginia that randomly assigns students. For example, strong disciplinarians are assigned students with discipline problems who often do not do well on tests. These teachers would be punished for being good at what they do.
Family wealth and educational attainment levels both correlate with high student test scores. Obviously, the students in a wealthy school zone whose parents are college graduates score better on tests than students in impoverished areas. Teaching in the poor school is more dangerous, challenging, and demanding. If we link pay to test scores, guess which teachers come out ahead?
Many factors influence student test scores. Teacher competence is but one. If we go in the direction of performance-based pay, the measures of performance should include, but not be restricted to, test scores.
I'm glad the NEA is questioning Obama on this complex issue.
Cherral M. Moore.
Henrico.
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Reader Reactions
Well said, Cherral. The best teachers don’t always have the best scores. We do the best we can with what we are given to work with, but there are too many outside factors over which we have no control. You have mentioned a few, but I would also like to add a couple more. Last year 64 out of 65 of my chemistry students passed the state SOL test; the one who did not missed 42 days of class. Students absolutely cannot learn if they are not in school and teachers have no control over that. I have also found that, in high school at least, the vast majority of my students are sleep-deprived. Many, if not most, admit to going to bed (regularly) at 1am, 2am, or later and then arrive at school at 8:15. Even those who can stay awake are not performing optimally. Ultimately, the parents are responsible for these students’ performance, and even the best teacher cannot force exhausted, truant students to learn high level content.
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