Should Teachers Pay Be Linked To Student Grades

[Daisy and Delilah]

My sister is a teacher and I need to ask her what she thinks.

I think it is extremely unfair to the teachers. My sister practically kills herself every year to get her kids ready for tests. FCAT particularly. She loves doing it but I think it is wrong to punish a person that gets stuck with kids that can not learn or don't want to learn.
It's also a problem in schools with students that don't speak English. We have alot of kids here in Florida that don't speak English yet. It can be next to impossible for the teachers to teach those kids what they need to know.

In some classrooms that are predominately English challenged, I believe there are allowances made for those groups to a certain point. However, I'm not sure how it works if the majority of the kids do speak English. Do the non speaking kids bring down the averages of the classroom/school? Alot of questions for my sister.

[cassiesmom]

I think it is wrong to punish a person that gets stuck with kids that can not learn or don't want to learn.
It's also a problem in schools with students that don't speak English.

My sister-in-law teaches middle school in a district where there are white, African American, Spanish-speaking and a growing population of immigrant Eastern European families. Some kids don't have a working grasp of English, but in middle school they don't receive transitional teaching in their primary language. Some kids have troubled home situations. Some kids haven't eaten anything before school; lunch will be their first meal of the day. There are a good number of kids who come to school not ready to work, for any number of reasons. I don't think the teacher should be penalized, but it's worth a look at what keeps kids from doing well and get them into breakfast programs, family counseling, language support or other areas they need so they can do well in school.

[Daisy and Delilah]

My sister is seriously opposed to this but she believes there are some instances where certain conditions are needed to excel in getting quality education for our children.

She said the comparisons are being made to workers in other fields. i.e. Police--should the policeman that doesn't stop a crime from being committed be given less pay?
Firemen--Should the fireman's pay be cut if there are fires they couldn't control?
Doctors--Should the doctor's be penalized if people are still sick under thier care?

It seems fair to me that other workers should be penalized if they aren't able to get the expected end results. If the teachers are solely responsible, according to some people, why not the other workers?

This responsibility should never be placed upon the teachers only. There are many more people that should be held accountable.

[Lady's Human]

Police don't prevent crime, they're the cleanup crew.

Same with firemen. Frequently their job is to mainly prevent the fire from spreading to other buildings, not to save the involved structure.


Electronic techs: I can't fix a machine, I could be removed/retrained

Drill Sergeants: Their Privates don't make the grade, they can be returned to their original units with their careers ended.

Instructors (In most of industry outside of a school system): The students don't learn the subject matter, they lose their job.

Managers: The function they are responsible for doesn't perform, they're on the street.

[Lady's Human]

I'm not saying that teachers should be strictly graded based on their students' performance, other things should be taken into account as well. However, they should not be immune to penalties, as they are in NYC's "rubber rooms".

[RICHARD]

I have seen kids that complain about parents not giving them 'limits' as far as rules, behavior and attitude go.

The kids want structure and the parents are too busy to give it.

So, that leaves teachers to work in the grey area that makes up in real life and education.

The parents complain about taxes-which pay for the schools.

They do not/refuse to teach their kids the basic rules of etiquette, respect and honor.

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How's about a program that lowers the taxes for people who get their kids to graduate?

And the program for people who do not have kids?

Either donate time or money to the local school system?

Part of the problem with the student/teacher/parent triad is there is not enough pressure put on any group to make it work.

the answers are there-we just have to make people accountable for THEIR part of the problem.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

And the program for people who do not have kids?

Hey, I vote for that one!!!