Good teachers produce students who score well on state tests, right?
February 16, 2009
Merit pay for teachers is being touted in Michigan and other places as the way to get good teachers for our kids.
The thinking seems to be that teachers who have students who score well on state tests should get more pay. These teachers, according to this school of thought, are better than others and, as a result should get paid more.
Hmm . . . is that true? In this morning's Detroit Free Press, the reporters writes about three Michigan school districts experimenting with this approach and with no results to report yet.
And, President Barak Obama has included money in the federal stimulus package for districts to try merit pay. Apparently, his Secretary of Education Arne Duncan tried this approach when he was head of the Chicago Public Schools.
Teachers: What do parents need to know about this approach? Do numbers tell the tale about whether you're successful with your students? Are their other factors involved? What are they?
Parents: What role do you play in your child's education? How significant is your role in whether they succeed in school or not?
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