Articles

Merit pay for teachers too flawed to be fair

Opinion by Merchuria Chase Williams
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jan. 13, 2006

It is inevitable that whenever discussions of salary increases take place, the topic of salary schedule vs. merit pay arises. While the goal of merit pay is admirable, there are inherent problems with its fair and equitable implementation.

A recent Urban Institute examination of merit pay in 18 school districts illustrates these problems. While the authors report some positive short-lived effects of merit pay - reduced turnover and absenteeism, greater goal orientation, increased engagement in constructive and innovative activities - they conclude that most plans had "major problems." Those problems included lower teacher morale from increased competition and divisiveness, teachers being upset because they didn't get the awards they deserved, the use of quotas on the number of teachers who could receive awards and the cost and time involved.

The review found "little evidence from other research, including the evaluation literature, that incentive programs (particularly pay-for-performance) had led to improved teacher performance and student achievements."

During the administration of Gov. Roy Barnes, the Georgia Association of Educators began to advocate a tiered certification professional teaching salary advancement instrument. Tiered certification provides a method for teachers to advance in their profession without leaving the classroom. GAE's recommended levels include:

• Level one: Education support professionals who are required to obtain certification of any kind (bus drivers, paraprofessionals, etc.);
• Level two: A teacher during the first two to five years of initial certification;
• Level three: Accomplished teacher status, which can be achieved after the first two years of experience and completion of state standards;
• Level four: A mentor teacher who has increased responsibilities in the school system, including serving as a mentor;
• Level five: A master teacher who has achieved the standards prescribed by the state that may include National Board Certification;
• Level six: An administrator level that ensures anyone who becomes an administrator has achieved a high level of state standards.

Each of these levels is achieved with experience, professional development and increased responsibility or participation in the school or system. Each also comes with a salary incentive and the ability to advance one's teaching career while remaining a classroom teacher.

Merit pay is best used when individual performance is valued and accurately measured across the board. It has proved problematic in a profession as complex as teaching, where professionals don't have control over their students' innate ability and where they must discern the most effective way to reach and motivate each student to learn.

Merchuria Chase Williams is president of the Georgia Association of Educators.

Copyright 2006 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. More information: www.ajc.com.

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