I will the address the fourth incorrect assumption in education: Reward the outstanding teachers by giving them more money.
I asked myself “What am I to make of this?” In the past 14 years, my wages have fallen more than 12% below the wages of other workers with similar education and skills. Giving me a few extra dollars today for the outstanding job I have done for the past 14 isn’t a reward; it is a portion of the back payment that I should have getting all along! Besides, the crafters of this “brilliant” idea missed the point: No one enters the teaching profession, at any grade level, with the belief that they are going to make a great deal of money. In fact, most of us enter the teaching profession with the understanding that we will be working 10+ unpaid hours every week, and this will put a strain on our social life, our marriages, and our family life – especially if we have school age children
In all honesty, I feel somewhat insulted by the idea of “reward for outstanding teaching” because it implies that I need this added incentive in order to motivate me to do my best job! I have done and will continue to do my best job regardless of my wages! The fact of the matter is I became a teacher because I have a passion for teaching; I am good at teaching; I love the results my students achieve – especially when they come to visit me as successful, professional adults with families of their own. Knowing that I have played a role in their development is the greatest feeling in the world!
In tomorrow’s blog (Policies, Politicians, and School Reform --Part 6), I will begin to discuss the real root of the problem: Our Nation’s Growing Deficit in Strong Leadership.
