Should Teachers Pay Be Linked To Student Grades

[lizbud]

Our city (public) schools test scores are the lowest ever. There
are a few great schools , but they are all private ones. This article is
about trying this method of measuring school teachers pay. I think it
sure wouldn't hurt to try.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/23176131/detail.html

[pomtzu]

Seems it would be a good way to drive away good teachers and send them seeking employment in a more equitable school district.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Some kids just won't learn no matter how hard you try and teach them. One of my step sisters would not do her homework. I'd hate to think of some poor teacher getting penalized because my step sister was stubborn and dumb.

[Asiel]

I think it's a terrible idea. Why blame teachers and penalize them because some kids refuse to learn. I agree it would only serve to drive great teachers away for greener pastures. One can only do so much and if kids don't want to learn a teacher is up against a brick wall no matter what she/he does.

[IRescue452]

Noooooooooooo. That means teachers will be giving out the answers without actually teaching the kids how to get the answers themselves. It happened all the time in my high school where teachers would just go down the list and tell you the answers.

[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.

[blue]

That means teachers will be giving out the answers

My first thought as well.

[Lady's Human]

Why do the teachers have to know what's on the test, beyond what the general subject areas are?

[Alysser]

I also think it's an awful idea to blame teachers, while there have been many in my school years that are bad and some were very recent - some of them were amazing people. They worked hard, even with the worst of kids. Some of those kids just didn't pass because they simply didn't care - not the teachers fault. They very often worked hard to try and teach them with after-school help, etc. to no avail. While, I've met bad teachers I still don't think it justified. But I will say also, they're some god-awful teachers out there. Some of their ways of teaching were not working, they knew it and did not care. They're just some that plainly hate kids, and some that have attitude problems and alot of things that just annoyed me. While, I've never suffered to badly from a teacher, I know some kids who did.

[king2005]

Ummmm why are the teachers at blame? Its most likely the parents faults. If your not going to help your kid with school or force them, then it YOUR OWN fault your kid is failing.

Parents need to learn to take control of their childrens actions & educations. My dad was on my case all the time when I was young. If I didn't do my homework I didn't get dinner until it was done. You only pull that stunt a few times & learn quickly to just do the work.

How many parents do NOTHING educational wise for their kids during the summer months? My folks would quiz me on random things to keep my brain working. I didn't do any homework during the summer months, but I did random math, spelling, & answered random questions my dad asked me.

I'm not the smartest person out there, but I'm FAR from being stupid like a lot of people I know & have met. Its terribly sad.

My biggest issue is math. My teachers were terrible with me. I was the one singled out all the time & was reminded that I was stupid. G-thanks. It got so bad that I cannot do basic math infront of people, I freeze up & panic. My friends know this so when we play board games they would just say the total on the dice for everyone, so I wouldn't feel stupid (which I'm not). Now when I go grocery shopping I can keep the growing/changing totals in my head just fine.

This is another issue I have with teachers, just because someone can't spell all the crazy long & weird scientific words doesn't mean they should fail when they know the darn answer & can apply the knowledge. I was one of the BEST students in grade 12 advanced Bio, & OAC Bio, but because I couldn't spell many of the crazy words I nearly failed the classes.. How the heck is that fair/right? I was TEACHING other students the stuff as I KNOW Bio like the back of my hand (well knew, lost some of it now as its been so many yrs).

opps, ranted.. I'll stop..

Teachers are a problem, but Parents are an even bigger issue.

[Nomilynn]

It doesn't seem like it is in the best interest of the students. Instead of helping the kids be the best they can be, it will be almost like each "smart" child is another point. I think it would end up creating a system where "smart" kids thrive and ones who don't "make the grade" fall through the cracks.

[blue]

THis may be the liquor talking or maybe the documentary Im watching but...

Maybe we should steer our education system away from getting every kid into college. Not every student is going to go to higher education so why waste money trying to get every snotty kid into college?

Here in the USA we could rebuild our workforce with the public education system. IF a kid has an aptitude for working with his hands it should be nurtured with programs and not stifled with courses geared to get them into a school they have no interest in attending.

[RICHARD]

I agree with the "vocational route" as far as school goes.
Some kids don't have the patience to sit in a chair all day and absorb the
lesson plan.

----------------

About the teachers giving the answers away?


T&F

A,B,C, D-None of the Above?

Write an essay......

The student STILL has to know the right thing to put on the paper?

[Marigold2]

I believe much of the problem starts in the womb. Young people having children while they abuse drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and or abusive lifestyles.
Babies born with little or no nutrition addicted to drugs or cigarettes at birth.
Love birth rate, low IQ because above mentioned items.
These women don’t care about their children. They are unable to take care of themselves and the child is the least of their concerns.
Some are in jail time and time again. The father is unknown or has 7 other kids with 6 other women.
The worst offenders are the ones who have who’s kids are mentally and sexually abused.
They never really stand a chance. It is sad beyond belief and oh so true.
Birth control, is the only answer I can think of. The only thing that will work 100%. Never having these poor kids in the first place is the kindest thing of all.
Our schools and our country are not able to help them and furthermore should not have to. Birth control, self control. If you make a kid you should be responsible for it but if you are in jail or addicted to drugs you don’t give a s&*t.

[lizbud]

This Editorial in the local paper really got me thinking about the
bleak outlook for many kids in this area. I have no school age childen
anymore, but I don't envy any of today's parents of school age kids.
I don't have any answers, but I do believe the love of learning should
be instilled by the parents before the children even go to school.


Our Opinion
IPS must find path to progress
Posted: April 14, 2010Comments

A discouraging new report makes clear that a culture of failure still is deeply entrenched in Indianapolis Public Schools.

A team of education consultants, hired by the state, found inept administrators, weak teachers and a central office staff that is more disruptive than helpful in 12 of IPS' worst-performing schools. The report could lead to a state takeover of as many as eight of the schools next year.


Whether the state Department of Education, the mayor's office or another entity could improve conditions at the schools is an open question. But it's obvious that the district's current approach is not working, despite sustained efforts by Superintendent Eugene White to improve academic performance and student behavior.

The consultants, employed by a firm called Cambridge Education, found massive deficiencies at five IPS high schools -- Arlington, Broad Ripple, Howe, Manual and Northwest. Numerous red flags also were raised about Donnan Middle School "For too long the school and the district have attributed low ISTEP scores to students' poor skill levels on entry and their challenging social circumstances," the evaluation team wrote of Donnan. "It is time to recognize the shortfalls in teaching that have led to the high levels of failure and to carry out a detailed examination of what students need and how instruction can best meet their needs."

Other schools fared better, but even at those sites evaluators found problems that should trigger significant reform. At Gambold Middle, for example, the team urged district administrators to "ensure the school is released from large numbers of initiatives and professional developments that detract from the school's core purpose of raising student achievement."

It's time to drop the old excuses about why so many schools within IPS are failing. It's not because of student poverty. At Gambold Middle, 85 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Yet, the principal is given high marks by evaluators and the school's overall performance is judged as fair. In contrast, at Donnon Middle, where 83 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, overall performance is rated as poor and administrators and teachers were given low marks. "A major barrier to student progress is that the school does not know how to improve," evaluators found.

The same could be said for much of IPS: It does not know how to improve. For the sake of this city and its children, a way forward must be found.