"I strongly feel that merit pay IS NOT necessarily a good thing. Why? Some students teach all students -the good, bad and ugly - where as some might only teach honors or AP classes. The second group scores would be considerably higher than those of the first. What about the low English speakers or special education teachers? Their students will be scoring lower on the standardized tests by which much of the evaluation is made. What happens to these students when placed the the regular classroom, the scores go down. Not because the teacher is bad, not because the student is bad, but because of factors not in our control. Can those who hand out the $$$$'s make their selections fair taking all the different factors that we deal with daily to make a fair assessment. I very much doubt it. Until assessments on the teachers ability to teach and who is a better teacher.... I say NO to merit pay."
-- G. Jones, Teacher, LAUSD, Los Angles

"I don't believe that merit pay is a good idea. First, what prevents a principal from stacking an unwanted teacher's classroom with low-performing students and a more desirable teacher with high-performing students? Second, I believe that merit pay would cause teacher's to cheat for higher standardized test scores.Look at the cases of cheating in Houston and Dallas in recent years. Third, what happens to teacher who do not teach a subject that has a standardized test? Are they forever out of the merit pay loop?"
-- Brenda Goode, Teacher, Colmesniel ISD, Colmesneil, Texas

"No, is do not think that it is a good idea. Teachers are already going above and beyond each day and every week of the school year. I do not think it is fair to reward some teachers for coming up with a "brillant" idea. Some teachers, like myself, come early to school each day to make sure everything is run off an ready for the day. If teachers ask me for help with computers ( i teach computer classes) then i do my best to help them. I do not get "rewarded" for thiis, i just do it. I believe that yearly pay raises should be given to all teachers, regardless of special plsns. I try to challenge my students each day, to encourage them and to listen to them. I do more for some of the students than their parents. Merit pay would not be rewarded for these skills. I want equal pay just like the other teachers."
-- megan calabrese, media specialist/technology, triadelphia middle shcool, wheeling, wv

Merit pay is an idea that could definitely work if implemented in a positive way and productive way. Many teachers hit their stride and then do not continue to take classes and enlighten themselves as educators. While they still may be good teachers, they have the potential to be great teachers by putting in extra effort. Districts should push educators to continue their own education to keep the classroom an ever changing and evolving place for students to learn. Teachers who put in the extra time and energy to make this happen should be recognized and rewarded. Merit pay has the potential to allow the educators who really care and are passionate about what they do to rise up in the pay scale more quickly than waiting for the standard steps and cost of living increases. With fair standards and goals set and agreed upon by teams of educators, administrators and school boards, merit pay has the potential to keep the best educators in the profession for longer."
-- Molly Goff, Teacher, Banks, Banks, Oregon

"Yes, it is a good "idea" but not a real idea. I always like to refer to the "Blueberry Story" by Jamie Vollmer when I hear about merit pay or education reform. The Blueberry Story: The teacher gives the businessman a lesson “If I ran my business the way you people operate your schools, I wouldn’t be in business very long!” I stood before an auditorium filled with outraged teachers who were becoming angrier by the minute. My speech had entirely consumed their precious 90 minutes of in-service. Their initial icy glares had turned to restless agitation. You could cut the hostility with a knife. I represented a group of business people dedicated to improving public schools. I was an executive at an ice cream company that became famous in the middle1980s when People Magazine chose our blueberry as the “Best Ice Cream in America.” I was convinced of two things. First, public schools needed to change; they were archaic selecting and sorting mechanisms designed for the industrial age and out of step with the needs of our emerging “knowledge society”. Second, educators were a major part of the problem: they resisted change, hunkered down in their feathered nests, protected by tenure and shielded by a bureaucratic monopoly. They needed to look to business. We knew how to produce quality. Zero defects! TQM! Continuous improvement! In retrospect, the speech was perfectly balanced - equal parts ignorance and arrogance. As soon as I finished, a woman’s hand shot up. She appeared polite, pleasant – she was, in fact, a razor-edged, veteran, high school English teacher who had been waiting to unload. She began quietly, “We are told, sir, that you manage a company that makes good ice cream.” I smugly replied, “Best ice cream in America, Ma’am.” “How nice,” she said. “Is it rich and smooth?” “Sixteen percent butterfat,” I crowed. “Premium ingredients?” she inquired. “Super-premium! Nothing but triple A.” I was on a roll. I never saw the next line coming. “Mr. Vollmer,” she said, leaning forward with a wicked eyebrow raised to the sky, “when you are standing on your receiving dock and you see an inferior shipment of blueberries arrive, what do you do?” In the silence of that room, I could hear the trap snap…. I was dead meat, but I wasn’t going to lie. “I send them back.” “That’s right!” she barked, “and we can never send back our blueberries. We take them big, small, rich, poor, gifted, exceptional, abused, frightened, confident, homeless, rude, and brilliant. We take them with ADHD, junior rheumatoid arthritis, and English as their second language. We take them all! Every one! And that, Mr. Vollmer, is why it’s not a business. It’s school!” In an explosion, all 290 teachers, principals, bus drivers, aides, custodians and secretaries jumped to their feet and yelled, “Yeah! Blueberries! Blueberries!” And so began my long transformation. Since then, I have visited hundreds of schools. I have learned that a school is not a business. Schools are unable to control the quality of their raw material, they are dependent upon the vagaries of politics for a reliable revenue stream, and they are constantly mauled by a howling horde of disparate, competing customer groups that would send the best CEO screaming into the night. None of this negates the need for change. We must change what, when, and how we teach to give all children maximum opportunity to thrive in a post-industrial society. But educators cannot do this alone; these changes can occur only with the understanding, trust, permission and active support of the surrounding community. For the most important thing I have learned is that schools reflect the attitudes, beliefs and health of the communities they serve, and therefore, to improve public education means more than changing our schools, it means changing America. Copyright 2002, by Jamie Robert Vollmer"
-- Jason Wiese, Teacher, Arlington Public Schools, Arlington, Nebraska

"As a profession we have stayed away from the debate of merit pay due to the fact we are still trying to raise the pay of our profession to a decent level. Professional pay for professional work. We continue to slip further behind with budgets cuts etc., yet Merit Pay is here and is not going anywhere. While we are not afraid of accountability, measuring a teacher's pay on student performance creates more problems. There are so many more variables at play beside the teacher. One example is the make-up of the class. Each year, this can be a blessing or a "challenge". Parent support has almost an equal input to a student's performance. Therefore, I prefer a plan that offers a "bonus" or "incentive" for additional training and self evaluation like the National Board Certification Program. In Florida, we were offered a 90% discount to obtain this additional credential. Many teachers did the work and received the certification. Now that the discount has been removed due to state budget cuts, very few apply. The "incentive" money for mentoring other teachers is also being removed as it was not part of the bargaining unit contract. Bottom line, Merit Pay under the old definitions...No. Yes.. if we are allowed to sit at the table and give input in the design of a program. But let's not forget that we are still not at the level of pay for our profession as we should be. Let's not stop fighting for that!"
-- Diana Moore, Teacher, Orange/Millennia, Orlando, FL

"Yes, because many teachers work their hardest to make sure students are learning and successful in their classroom, while others just sit back and give the students "busy work" and collect the same paycheck!! It's totally not fair and that's why Merit Pay is a good idea!"
-- S. Houston, Science Teacher, Hillsborough, Tampa, Fl

"I don't think merit pay is a fair idea. Each year I have a different class made up of wonderful personalities. Along with those wonderful personalities come a lot of baggage for some of my kids. I can only control the environment in my classroom, not their life before school or after. Some years my class has been mostly mid to upper class students with both parents in the home, and wonderful life experiences. Other years the school resource officer has been on speed dial and family services and I were on a first name basis. How can I get a child to be proficient or advanced when their home life is beyond my imagination or they are doing their best and it will NEVER meet the standards of NCLB. I don't mind measuring growth in each individual student each year, but I don't think I should be rewarded or penalized for things beyond my control. My SPED kids' test scores are on my report, but I only service them in social areas of the day. How do you measure that on a test? If merit pay goes into practice, states will have to have a level playing field and student ability will have to be made equal in each classroom. Do we really have the resources to do it right? I think not. There are more important issues at hand in our educational system."
-- Pamela Clark, 4th grade teacher, Nixa RII Century Elementary, Nixa, MO

"No. Everything learned does not come from just the teacher. Support from parents, administration, and government are important aspects for learning as well. It's a united effort to help the youth of today become the leaders of tomorrow. If a law doesn't pass, does the Legislative Committee get a reduction in pay because they didn't "do their job"? Educators today are teaching a lot more than reading, writing and math. Our students home lives, well being, and economic background all figure into their learning abilities as well. Materials available, funding, space, class size, etc. are also factors of a learning environment. One year you could have a class that has your brightest stars, and the next, students who may have trouble getting along with others or who may not do well on tests, Not every student is going to get A's in all of his classes, but, making the student feel that he was successful in everything he tried is what we need to strive for. Merit pay for teachers is going to cause a lot of "fudging" of grades, more competitiveness instead of camaraderie, and instead of looking out for the students concerns, teachers will become more self-absorbed."
-- CAKE (Care About Kids Education), Teacher, Monmouth County, NJ

"No, merit pay is a horrific idea. The good teachers will leave the schools where they are most needed, those with the most challenging students. Also, the inadequacy and inconsistencies of assessments would make determining "merit" inconsistent and, therefore, be biased. The good teachers will flee from the schools with the more challenging students. They will prefer working in the more elitist schools where the children come from more affluent homes and can afford private tutors to ensure student success. Or, the good teachers will prefer charter schools where administrators can conveniently eliminate students with learning disabilities or limited English capabilities in order to boost their test scores. Every state has different standards and statewide assessments. With no national consistent requirements, merit pay would be based on biased and unfair data. Currently there are no consistent nationwide standards from which to base assessments. Neither do most assessments adequately reflect the knowledge of our students. For example: *Students may be tired or ill on the day of the annual assessment. *An end-of-year assessment is given three months before school dismisses (Indiana's ISTEP+). *Limited English Proficient (LEP) students are required to take math, science, and social studies tests entirely in English even if they have only been in U.S. schools for one day (they get to use a word-for-word dictionary, but come on!). *This year's third graders are compared to last year's group of third graders; individual growth is not taken into account, no matter how dramatic the gains (Indiana again). *A student transferring from a different state can easily be a half year or more behind our standards. Would the teachers in the other state get higher merit pay by meeting their state standards even though the student is severely behind moving into our state? The research consistently points to the inadequacy of assessments, and too often results from one annual test determine the school's success or failure. Merit pay would compound the problems in our country's education system. The current trickle of teachers leaving the field after only 3-5 years of service would become a waterfall within a few years of the inception of merit pay."
-- Christy Pietrzak, ESL/ENL Teacher, New Prairie United School Corporation, Rolling Prairie, IN

"I believe that merit pay is a good idea. As a core teacher, I feel much more pressure to prepare my students than non-core teachers do. I teach English I and II, which are both TAKS subjects in which the students need specific training for the tests. My scores have always been very good (above 95%), yet I make the same salary as the home ec teacher who allows students to play in class. In all other professions, salary is tied to performance. In education, however, it doesn't matter if you are a good teacher or a bad teacher, your salary is the same. I think that our country would see overall improvement in education if teachers made financially accountable for their teaching."
-- Anonymous

"No, the teacher doesn't have control over all the elements/reasons that cause a student/class to succeed or fail. For instance, if I were judged on whether my students passed the WASL (state exam), I would want the judge to also take into account the classroom/school climate, family situation, health, IQ, weather, time of day, time of the year, etc."
-- Lorraine Dietel, Teacher/Librarian, Edmonds/Scriber Lake High School, Edmonds, WA

"Absolutely NOT! If I have a third grader who is reading at pre-primer and I get him up to second grade reading in a year, that's a miracle. Will he do well on the third grade testing? NO. You absolutely cannot look at raw scores for anything. My class is half ESL. It's a given that my students scores will be lower...they don't all speak English! But there's no accounting for that. Do we pay the police more if their beat has less robberies than another? Do we pay dentists more if their patients have less cavities than another dentist? As someone who has worked in a low-socioeconomic school and now am at a fairly well-to-do school, I can tell you...I have not changed my teaching. But, suddenly my students score 30 points higher on the test. Did I miraculously become a better teacher? NO! At my old school, 100% free lunches, I spent my own money buying students school supplies, socks, and even a winter jacket or two. Then they want to give someone else "merit" pay because they are a "better teacher"? Good thing I didn't go into teaching for the high pay!"
-- Lori, teacher, Albuquerque Public Schools, Albuquerque, New Mexico

"Although the idea of teacher merit pay is good to consider, there are several prerequisites before implementing it as a reality. (1) Establish an objective, measurable baseline that all teachers are expected to meet. If it is not possible to have a single baseline, then justify the creation of multiple baselines. For example, the standard might be the same throughout a state, or in a school district, or in a building. Or there might be one baseline for primary teachers, another for intermediate teachers, another for middle school, and another for high school. A third type of plan might establish baselines according to describing the students that are taught -- "regular" or "special needs" or "advanced" or "free/reduced lunch" or "homeless" or "alternative", etc. (2) Then carefully assess each teacher to find out how he/she meets, exceeds, or does not yet meet, the baseline. It is essential that the assessment measures are used in a standard way. People who administer or interpret the measures must also avoid (or stringently minimize) any bias. There will be still be some subjectivity. (3) Develop systematic ways to provide additional supports to any teacher who does not yet meet the baseline. To be appropriate and effective, supports need to match the teacher's individual situation. This means carefully defining the targets, logically deciding the steps, and providing enough supports that success is possible. (4) Keep the teachers who did improve and reach the baseline. When keeping one's job is a real future option, then there is incentive to work - change - improve. When losing one's job seems inevitable, then there is less reason to keep up the effort. In addition to the four steps listed, there are these realities: (A) Having educated people is crucial to having democracy. That is one reason why teaching is a crucial profession. However, we must acknowledge that teachers provide ONE VITAL PART of a student's learning, not the entire picture. We need to remember that good teaching happens within settings. Teaching environments are influenced by resources, relationships, community involvement, school climate factors, and many other variables. (B) Look at how standards are set and used in other areas -- such as manufacturing, retail, restaurants, music, sports, highway safety, etc. Then think about how profits, paychecks, bonuses, fame, or other awards are allotted in these areas. Where and how well do these other systems translate to teaching?"
-- Carol Christ, literacy teacherSalem, Oregon

"Merit pay based on student test scores is not a good idea. There are too many schools throughout the country that have a hard time attracting good teachers and keeping good teachers without the strongest academic populations. It would be even more difficult to keep good teachers in these districts if pay raises were tied to scores. Merit pay based on performance above expectations is the better way to go. Teacher performance in terms of engaging and beneficial lesson plans, great classroom instruction (observations), being available to students for extra help before/after or during school day, being a collegial member of the school staff... those are the areas it would be nice to see merit pay for. We all know there are teachers who go above and beyond the call of duty in many different ways. They are the teachers who deserve merit pay."
-- Jennifer Carrobis, Teacher, Manchester School District, Manchester, NH

"No, I am a special education teacher for the emotionally disturbed students. There are many days these student do well to just get to school."
-- Jackie Poehner, Special education teacher, Merrick School, Marylhurst, Or97036

"No, it is not fair to those teachers that struggle everyday, getting the special education students ready for real life, not just academics. I know that my students at the Jr. High level will never be able to pass the CST higher than Below Basic Level and I feel that any accomplishment done by these students should be commended, not a number on a scale telling us how much they have learned. If my pay is based on their scores, I will be the lowest paid teacher for my entire career even though I was able to help a student be able to understand money when going to a fast food restaurant and be able to order for themself. Improving a child's life is the most important thing!"
-- Linda McClung, Educational Specialist, Cutler Orosi Joint Unified School District, El Monte Middle School, Orosi, CA

"I believe that teachers are already responsible for too much already! It's not like we are in it for the money. Most teachers are there for the kids and if they are not they wont last long. Do you mean merit based pay like the A.I.G. executives? Run your business into the ground and get a million dollar bonus? Or do you mean have teachers put in 80 hours per week instead of the mere 70 they already put in?"
-- Lynne

"No. Not as generally used where it is quite possible for a teacher to achieve very good results using methods an unappreciative, or stupid, principal does not approve to be denied merit, and/or promotion. I would not object to merit based on pretest and posttests, and comparison to other teachers at the same level, and their achievements with similar quality students (especially with relation to economic and educational status of parents, disabilities, etc). The objection to merit has long been based on the whims of incompetent administrators, until that can be eliminated, and teachers convinced it is really true teachers will not be able to accept the concept."
-- Jack Bennett, Retired Professor of Biology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115

"Teacher merit pay is not a good idea because nothing is equal for any two classes. How could it be fair when some teachers have the "gifted" students, some have the average students, some have ESE (special education) students, and some like myself who are Intensive Reading teachers have students with the lowest academics and the worst behaviors and attitudes in the entire school? Some teachers have students who are motivated to learn, but many teachers have students who will "Christmas tree" the high stakes tests because they don't care what their scores are. Some students do their homework and listen in class, but many do not. Why should teachers, who have worked hard and done their jobs, be held accountable for the students that have taken no responsibility for their own learning? Another reason that teachers' classes are not equal is that special education teachers are NOT the ones that teach reading to the special education students. Most special education students are sent out to regular education classrooms with the special education teacher as the co-teacher--except for reading. Intensive Reading teachers are regular education teachers with certification in reading--not special education. Yet, these are the only teachers that have 100% (or close to it)special education students. It is impossible to constantly be putting out fires and deal with drama in the classroom every day and still teach. When all classes are 100% equal, that's when merit pay should be given only to certain teachers."
-- Linda Boyd, Intensive Reading Teacher, Pasco County Schools, Land O'Lakes, FL

"I cannot for the life of me see how this could work. Inevitably, there will be a classroom of non-performers and nobody will want to teach them, lest they forego their merit pay. Merit pay is not in the interests of these or any students. I like the idea of recognition for great teachers, but teacher unions do everything possible to make it difficult to dismiss poor teachers. Teacher pay makes it difficult to attract good teachers. When kids are buying DVD's of us having a great lesson instead of some gangsta rapper, and when kids are trading teacher cards instead of hockey cards, then we will have some progress. Until then, it remains really clear where our society has its priorities."
-- James Slade, Instructor, Red River College, Winnipeg. Mb, Canada

"Yes. For three years I participated in a merit program called TAP and I loved getting it. Each year I got a nice check for the efforts I put forth in my classroom to improve student performance."
-- Carol Ponthieux, CSI Lead Teacher, Calcasieu Parish School, Lake Charles, LA 70607

"Merit pay sounds like a good idea on paper, but ideas that sound good on paper do not always turn out to be good ideas when implemented. How do we determine who deserves merit pay -- by testing? What if a teacher gets a bunch of kids one year who are just behind perhaps by chance or perhaps because of another teacher in previous years? Should the present teacher have to pay for the sins of the previous teacher? Well then, should we decide who deserves merit pay by principal evaluation? In my experience the principal is really the last to know who is a good teacher. Principals might be able to spot the really bad teachers, but they seldom spot the really good teachers. Usually the teachers that principals think are the best are the teachers who toot their horns the loudest or win the most awards. Often the best teachers are humble. Good teachers promote students instead of promoting themselves. Merit pay is a good idea, but there is not a sound method for determining who deserves merit pay."
-- Debbie Simpson, Teacher, Booker ISD/Booker High School, Booker, TX 79005

"Education is a socialized system. Merit pay is a capitalist concept. Why would we even try to apply a capitalist concept to a socialized system? It makes no sense whatsoever. I'm all for merit pay, as long as I get to choose what I teach, where I teach, and who I teach. I hate to tell the government this, but a merit pay plan is going to end up leaving quite a few students behind!"
-- Kay Evans, High School Social Studies Teacher, Jefferson County/Arvada High School, Arvada, Colorado

"Teacher merit pay -- mmmmmm? What will be the basis for determining the merit? Attendance, performance, student test achievement? If student achievement is the primary consideration then an emphatic NO. I couldn't image receiving a merit contingent upon the performance of another person. I can't control what others do, only myself. So, a teacher merit pay should be based on the teacher's performance and how best to rank the performance would require clearly defined indicators."
-- Janjay Lockett, Teacher, Memphis City Schools, Memphis, Tennessee

"Merit pay. Hmmmm... What is the criteria used to decide? Who gets to create that criteria? Who is doing the evaluating? Are outside influences on student achievement taken into account? Will there be merit pay for teachers other than math and science? What about resource teachers? What about music teachers? What about English teachers? What about elementary teachers? World languages, ELL, health and fitness, occupational ed, etc., etc., etc. It would be wonderful to reward great teachers who improve student learning. But- define learning. Whose standards? What standards? How do you measure it?"
-- Pat Riley, Teacher, Puyallup, Puyallup, WA

"No. Every teacher has a year with that group of "Challenging" students and should not be penalized because they did meet standards. Some good teachers (new and older) would decide to leave a profession that already has a million reasons not to stay and only 30 to come back tomorrow."
-- Anonymous

"No, this is not a good idea! Teachers do not get to choose their students. Sometimes there are instances where the makeup of a class is not equal-this would not be fair to the teacher who has the class with most of the discipline problems or the lower class. Also, there are too many instances where kids are not trying to perform well on tests, even purposely to hurt the teacher's class scores. This would definitely also lead to cheating."
-- Anonymous

"If all the teachers were included in Merit Pay it would be good, but not all are given an opportunity. I was a Special Needs Teacher, never got a prep period, never got incentive pay and was never offered Merit pay. I was an excellent teacher and always got rave reviews from my administrators and superiors. My son is now an English teacher (8th) Grade. He has tremendous success as a teacher and is very good, if I do say so myself, however, math and science seem to get all the merit pay. What is wrong with this picture???? We need English teachers who are willing to teach well so that students may become leaders in this country. Why do all the incentives go elsewhere???"
-- Olive H. Emerson, Teacher/Special Education, Retired Alpine School District, American Fork, Utah

"Merit pay would not be a good idea because as it is now, many teachers welcome the challenged students. With merit pay teachers will be hoping for only the bright ones. What will happen to the quality of education then?"
-- Anonymous

"ABSOLUTELY! How can we can we expect to be respected on the same level as other professions, if we don't think our salary should be based on how well we do. If it isn't, what do we base it on? Right now most districts pay their teachers on how long they've stayed in the district. How is that fair to the profession of teaching or to the students we service? What we are saying is that as long as any person with a teacher's license stays in his/her job long enough they will get paid more. A teacher could be the worst person for position, but since they never quit, they get paid more than the new teacher who has fresh ideas, lots of energy and who has great communication skills. I believe we would attract more qualified individuals to the profession if we were paid on merit. I applaud all districts that do this already and encourage unions to put their support behind this movement."
-- Christina S., Middle School Teacher, Peace Lutheran, Bremerton, WA

"Merit pay, done properly, will be a positive change in the American education system. When the teachers are compensated based on their students' progress (not necessarily "passing" standardized test scores) and their extracurricular duties, performance will increase and teachers who are not effective will be weeded out. There are too many lackluster teachers who are just getting by because they have tenure in their district, all of which could be replaced by more motivated, effective teachers who will work for the common goal of making American students successful and competitive in the global community."
-- Valerie Neese, 2nd grade teacher, W.W. Robinson/Shenandoah County, Woodstock, VA

"No, it's not a good idea. I cannot, as a teacher, control the levels of parental support my students have. The teachers cannot be the only ones held accountable. What about the parents and the students? What about their responsibilities?"
-- Megan Landry, teacher, Terrebonne Parish, Houma, LA

"What are all of the variables that will go into evaluating the "merit" of a teacher or of his/her teaching? It would have been like asking teachers 10 years ago about "no child left behind" and what it really entails."
-- A Alwan

"I live in an area where the parental support can range from non existent to high. The demographics of our school are such that there is not a lot of emphasis placed on education for many families. When you contact home and talk to the parent about how Billy or Susie are not doing there homework and share with you that they do not study at all, the parents do nothing about it. We have implemented Algebra 1 for ALL 8th grade students when this traditionally a high school course. Our county does not provide an alternative to Algebra 1, and seems to ignore the research done on how the brain is just not developed enough to handle abstract concepts such as Algebra. Therefore, to have my pay based on how my students perform would be unfair as it would not reflect all that I do do to help my students to succeed in Algebra. Many just do not want to do what it takes to be successful. I keep trying and I will not give up, but to base my pay on student performance would be a disservice to me."
-- Anonymous VA

"I feel it would make some teachers push to get ideas across or adjust things so as to gain money."
-- Anonymous

"It is a great idea. Tenure has been the death of education in the U.S. Let's pay the good teachers more and get rid of the bad ones."
-- Joanne Wagerson Ph.D., Director of Education, Detroit Public Schools, Detroit, MI

"NO! Merit pay, as I have heard it discussed, looks at paying teachers for the success of their students on the basis of the state standardized tests. I teach remediation classes for general ed students where my 7th and 8th graders come to me reading at a 2nd grade level; in the spring when they leave, they are at a 4th or 5th grade level. Based on this basic definition of merit pay, I am a failing teacher. My kids will not do well on the standardized tests. They have succeeded in learning to read and work in an academic setting."
-- Tay, teacher, LAUSD/Mt. Gleason MS, Los Angeles, CA

"Sure. Those of us who work hard should be rewarded. Those who don't won't be. Hopefully it causes everyone to raise the bar."
-- Anonymous

"I don't think it is wise to base a teacher's salary on student performance. As good as a teacher may be at her job, there are many factors that determine a student's success, especially if the primary measure of that success is a standardized test. A student's attitude, aptitude, home life, cultural differences, mental/physical health, personality and numerous other influences affect a student's ability to learn and perform, and merit pay ignores all of these. The system of merit pay would have to be carefully developed to look at individual student progress, perhaps even over several years, before a clear determination can be made if the student is indeed succeeding. Success is relative and would need to be measured on a much more subjective scale than I fear those making the decisions about who gets merit pay would take the time and effort to use."
-- Alexandra Vozeh, English Literature Teacher, MSMA, Watchung, NJ

"No, teachers need to work in a sharing and caring environment. Some of the best ideas we use are from other teachers. Merit pay makes teachers competitive instead of cooperative. It is contrary to what needs to happen to improve education."
-- Barbara Stockford, teacher, Sarasota/ mcintosh, Sarasota, Fl

"Yes, merit pay is a good idea. With the right planning and preparation, it gives incentive for teachers to develop their skills further. It also provides a clear stratification between teachers at different progress levels; for instance, a teacher just "getting by" and a teacher using their own time and resources to better their teaching skills should be compensated as such. I know that some teachers do not like this idea, but as I said before, with the right preparation, it could work wonders for our children. We are professionals and should have the opportunity to be paid based on our accomplishments and not just how long we can tough out our job."
-- Lisa Lewis, 6th Grade Teacher, LWSD/Rockwell Elementary, Redmond, WA

"Merit indicates a high level of superiority. When a teacher is given students with varying levels of ability and readiness, it seems unfair to designate that teacher as unworthy because the students do not all test on the same level. When all elements are the same and all students have the same ability, then and only then will merit pay be a good idea."
-- Sandra, Media Specialist, Thurgood Marshall High School, Dayton, Ohio

"No, it is not. Where you teach has a lot to do with how well your kids do on tests. Not everyone is Ron Clark, and not every student will respond like his students did. When kids don't care about education and their parents don't care about education, it's not fair to base pay on how well they do on tests."
-- Anonymous

"My initial opinion is no. Unless there is a fair and equitable way in which to measure teacher effectiveness that doesn't put the onus of academic performance on the students I am against merit pay plans. There are schools and school districts in this country where children refuse to put forth their full effort regardless of who is teaching. Teaching and coaching are the only two professions I can think of that base the student or athletes performance/winning on the teacher/coach instead of with the actual performers. Children/students are too immature to understand that their performance on a test is part of determining their teacher's salary. Are doctor's compensated on the ability of their patients healing or ability to follow medication instructions? Are accountants salaries based on their clients sales performance? Is an architects pay determined by their clients performance? To me the idea is insane, there are way too many intangibles out of the control of the educator to insure that pay is fair and on the merits of the teachers instruction. Shouldn't higher education be included in this debate? Why not? After all the university student is actually paying for his instruction. In order to make it fair you would have to level the "playing field" by mixing all student ability levels and making sure that all teachers use the same instructional strategies, techniques, curriculum and resources. Only then can an accurate measure be taken and compared teacher-to-teacher. And that scenario is Orwellian and Un-American!!! Teachers however do deserve higher salaries for the tremendously difficult work that they do. No other job in the world requires so many timely demands as that of a teacher."
-- Jonathan Dekker, Middle School Teacher, Saginaw Public School District, Saginaw, Michigan

"It depends on your definition of Merit Pay. If Merit Pay is based on the teacher's professional attitude, preparation, leadership role within the school, knowledge of content, organization, ability to meet timelines, continuing learning, planning and delivery of lessons that allow students to develop - probably yes. If Merit Pay is based on student achievement (teachers have little control over the selection of students that are going to show signs of improved achievement) and opinion (a popularity contest only) NO WAY! This discussion is also happening in Australia."
-- Barbara Tibbits, secondary science/maths teacher, Queensland Australia

"Merit pay is a great IDEA. It is how it is determined that is at issue. Fairness, equity, and consistency must always be a part of any merit pay system and therein lies the challenge. Too many exceptional teachers go unrewarded while mediocre teachers are enabled to continue marginalizing potential-students potential as well as their own potential! It would be a very worthwhile endeavor to come up with a merit pay system that rewards and challenges teachers and enriches the educational process for all."
-- Julie Garner, Teacher English III, Jim Ned CISD/High School, Tuscola, TX

"Merit pay is only a good idea if they do not use a single summative standardized test at the end of the year. Merit pay should be based off of student growth (test at beginning, middle and end of year), formal observations, submitted lesson plans, etc. Teachers working in alternative schools, and in high poverty areas should have special adaptations and modifications. It is important to hold teachers accountable, but it must be done fairly. Some teachers do wonders with some of the most difficult students, while others do little more than maintain the achievements of already well off students. Those doing more with less deserve recognition and support."
-- Adeana King, Alternative Jr high mathematics teacher, Gilbert Unified, Gilbert, AZ

"In theory, it sounds as though it would be in the best interest of children; in reality, I'm afraid it would be detrimental to children with learning disabilities, English Language Learners, slow learners, and children from poverty who struggle to "catch up." Yes, those children need the best possible teachers we can give them, but I don't think merit pay is the way to achieve this goal."
-- Debra Homan, Bilingual/ESL/World Languages Supervisor, Millville Public Schools, Millville, NJ

"No, The problem with merit pay is with the supervisor who is doing the overseeing. Many times your evaluation is based on whether or not the administrator likes you. I know of one person, not a teacher, who gets average even though he goes above what is required in his job. The reason for average is that his supervisor does not want to fill out the additional comments that are necessary for putting someone higher or lower than average. In another company they are doing away with merit pay because of the problems they are having with it. So why would educators want a system that is already flawed before it is instituted."
-- Jeanette Martin, Gen Ed Instructor

"No. All the merit pay would go to teachers in the rich districts. I experienced merit pay in Texas and it was a DISASTER!!!"
-- Valerie Neese

"No, I don't believe it is! There is an old saying, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink" I work in small group situations grades 3,4,5. All my students are struggling in either math or reading. Everyday I go to school with the anticipation that the light and enthusiasm I have for learning will emerge from at least one of my students. Fortunately, I have had several this year so far. However there are many more students that just have absolutely NO DESIRE. I see there regular classroom teacher so just about every conceivable idea to be interesting and to spark interest and I do the same. My para that assists me is now thinking these students may be just lazy. Unfortunately our 4th grade is overloaded with these students. What about their teachers who have worked hard, gone about and beyond what most teachers do and yet when these students are tested they perform low because as one bright student said, "no one can make us get good grades if we don't want to!""
-- Anonymous

"Yes and no. If it is applied equally and without bias it could be a good incentive. But what will determine the awarding of the merit pay? Student performance on a test? That's a bad idea for two reasons. One, how do you apply that to teachers outside the core areas that may not have standardized testing, such as art, PE, business. The second reason is that the incentive pay might motivate teachers to teach to the test. There is a lot of knowledge that we need to pas on to our students that is not always measured in an assessment. Then there is the problem of the merit pay being determined by more objective means where there are not strict guidelines. I'm still not convinced that merit pay is a good idea but I'm willing to listen to the arguments."
-- Ron Sayer, Director of Choirs, Marshal High School, Marshall, Missouri

"No, I do not think merit pay for is a good idea. Through the past 30 years, I have seen some very good teachers who quietly work with their students and would never dream of tooting their own horn, or brag about a wonderful lesson, or draw any attention to themselves. I have seen teachers take credit for something that should have never happened So what happens to those teachers? Do the teachers who take the credit for others deserve to get merit pay? How do administers know who truly deserves merit pay?"
-- Diana Burt, Reading Specialist, Mascoutah Elem., Dist #19, Mascoutah, IL

"NO, NO AND NO. How do you measure 'good' teacher. Students learn from all their teachers. Ever heard about the student who hated her (whatever) teacher and either realized that she had learned that she did not want to be this kind of teacher and was just as satisfied and grateful to learn how she didn't want to be as to learn from other teachers how she did want to be. Both ARE equally valuable. You can learn from people you do not like. Sometimes it takes a few years to acknowledge this."
-- Antigone Phalares, science teacher, Sacramento City Unified School District, Carmichael

"The idea of Merit Pay sounds wonderful. However, the question then becomes, "How do we determine the criteria by which it will be awarded?" Too often, teachers are judged solely by the achievement of their students. This is wonderul for teachers with students primarily from upper middle socio-economic homes who value education and are bright and motivated. However, it often discounts the efforts of teachers who teach students from generational poverty who are more concerned with the trauma they experience at home and where they will sleep tonight than with achieving in school. It also discounts the efforts of teachers who work with students who by definition do not achieve at the same rate as students in "regular" education classes. Does this mean that these teachers work less hard, or contribute less to education? Absolutely not! So then, how do we determine which teachers have earned "merit" pay? This has always been a difficult question to answer!"
-- Pamela D. Wilbanks, Guidance Counselor, Troup County - Unity Elementary School, LaGrange, GA.

"It sounds wonderful, but count me among the skeptics. If the merit pay is to be based on standardized tests, I am definitely skeptical. Until that whole process is revamped and improved, I don't want my pay based solely on tests that take way too much time away from teaching (it seems every year a new one is added) and emphasize details instead of a student's true understanding of a concept. We teachers are faced with a dilemma. Teach for mastery (which is what everyone wants) or get through all the curriculum that students will face on these tests which means often moving too fast for mastery. I also think that any decisions about merit pay should be made by a panel of teachers, not politicians or others who have never been in a classroom or have not been in one for 20 years."
-- Camille Cress, Teacher, Little Rock/Hall High, Little Rock, AR

"Absolutely not! You cannot assess teacher effectiveness or how hard a teacher works simply by student test scores, etc. There is a wide discrepancy among schools and school districts as to how prepared students come to the classroom. Is there really a fair and equitable way to determine merit pay? School districts already have performance based teacher evaluation programs in place. These evaluations should help teachers correct problems they may have in being effective."
-- Valerie Neese

"As long as the administrator who decides which teacher on their staff is worthy of merit pay is actually impartial, is knowledgeable of what the teacher in question does on a daily basis and is fair, merit pay could be a good thing."
-- Denise Friend, History teacher, Spurger Middle School, Spurger TX

"No, it creates divisions in a profession where we must work together to better educate our children. If teachers are working to be better than one another, they cannot collaborate to enhance the learning environmnet. Also, if experienced educators are not willing to share ideas, stategies, and lesson plans with new teachers, how can we expect them to become better. Merit pay may sound good to business people, but what do they really know about education?"
-- Michele Douglas, NBCT, English Teacher, Graves County High School, Mayfield, Ky

"No. How does one weigh the effectiveness of a good teacher? Is it the one who teaches in the school where every parent shows up to every conference, and whose children have good background experiences, meals and family lives and homework support and so the test scores reflect that? Or the one whose students and families struggle with poverty and the effort to simply survive and who do not do well on standardized test? There is never going to be a major change in the effectiveness of schools until parents begin parenting, turning off the TV and doing what they must do. We cannot do it all! If merit pay is enacted, WHO will volunteer to take the remedial kids, the Basic Skills Qualified Kids, the Special Needs Kids?"
-- Linda C. Ponter, M. Ed., Library Media Specialist, Wedgwood Elementary School, Washington Twp. NJ

"How do you make it fair? On what criteria will you base it on? I've had self-contained Special Ed classes all the way to Pre-AP. How does a rules committee judge apples and oranges to arrivie at a fair basis for reward?"
-- Lisa Carlisle, 9th Grade English, El Dorado/El Dorado High, El Dorado, Arkansas

"National Board Certification in your subject area is a better idea. You're judged and assessed by people outside your district eliminating an impartial assessment being done. Districts should give that merit pay to those teachers that have earned the certification only. President Clinton had the right idea!"
-- Freda Miller, High School Math Teacher, OCPS, Orlando, Fl

"No, merit pay is not a good idea because many schools that serve the underpriveledged, migrant, and minority based are not able to see the gains that "A" schools that serve primarily white, upper class, educated families. If merit pay is awarded it should based on beginning level of students and ending levels of students, include more variables and test scores such as reading lexiles, writing scores, rather than just an overall state test score such as FCAT in Florida, or comparing schools within the district. A fair way of including teachers at each school should be included."
-- Jill Baldwin M.S. Ed., Lang. Arts 6th grade, Collier Co. Public Schools Manatee Middle, Naples, FL

"Test scores may be the easiest and most convenient way to 'judge the merit' of a teacher......HOWEVER: community-building (e.g. sunshine committee person); peer-support (e.g. school-wide recognition for an innovative activity used in the classroom); the 'Kyle Ripken' award for faithfulness to daily schedule/attendance; recognition for parental contact; recognition (and $$$$) for attending workshops; recognition for miles walked within a classroom within a day's schedule; in-house recognition for any suggestions that are 'good for the order' (e.g. music to dismiss classes)....etc!"
-- Susan Ray, 6th Grade SPED resource teacher, d'iberville Middle School Harrison County Schools, d'iberville (Gulfport), Mississippi

"No, Merit pay is a terrible idea! Public school teachers cannot control their classroom population. All too often we have students and parents who do not take advantage of their educational opportunities. As an educator, I go beyond what is expected of me in my classroom. As one who uses multiple intelligences and brain compatible learning techniques, I still have a significant amount of failures. Many say that I'm a great teacher, but I cannot force children to learn nor do I want to be paid more than my colleagues. Merit pay would destroy the educational atmosphere among co-workers."
-- Debrah M. Merchant, Social Studies Educator, Randolph Central Schools/Winchester Com. H.S., Winchester, IN

"Possibly if it's done right. It can't be tied to State testing - There are too many variables on the student's end. It should be tied to the teacher's themselves. However, that may best be decided."
-- Sandy Kahut, K/1/3 reading specialist, Canby School Dist. 91/Carus, Canby, OR

"If merit pay means that teachers are being paid to work in low socioeconomic areas or with special needs students then I say "Go for it!" However, if merit pay means being paid based on students test scores it is another matter. Merit pay will create teachers that only teach material covered on tests. Merit pay will create territorial teachers that are not willing to collaborate with one another. Merit pay will create students who cannot think for themselves. Merit pay will create students who are not prepared to be contributing members of our quickly changing globalized world."
-- Jennifer Reed, Secondary English Teacher, Sheridan High School, Sheridan, Wyoming

"No because it does not take into accout PEC, ESOL and other grops. Who will want to teach anywhere but high socio-economic, high performance districts. Even within those districts problems will follow staffing classes for students who are most in need of truly "good teaching". I already know that my kids will not meet or exceed on tests. Those that do move on."
-- Frankie Long, ESOL teacher, Sutton MS Atlanta, Atlanta, GA.

"No. Where I work would have no teachers left. They would all run for the smart kids/schools. It is a good idea from outside the education world. But for a teacher, we know how it works. Certain schools/areas, no matter who is teaching, can't outperform the consistently higher acheiving schools."
-- Anonymous

"It is an excellent idea! Unions became outdated and American industrial productivity, if not the American way of life, suffered when younger members, following WW II, saw that they could not get ahead with good work because their fathers and their father's buddies were ahead of them in the "seniority gravy train". It's time for initiative and hard work to be reintroduced into the classroom and for the NEA to shed their mantle of unionism and become a prfessional organization similar to the AMA or ABA. Hard working teachers will not suffer from the introduction of merit pay. Any argument that only members of the "good old boys' and girls' club" will prosper is ridiculous. Our young people will prosper as well as those deserving of merit pay."
-- Jeffrey Peppers, Adjunct Professor, Northeast Lakeview College, San Antonio, Texas

"In theory, possibly, but in reality--no. Students come to school with various academic challenges, and most of the time without the teachers' knowledge. Social issues also play a large part in how students learn, which could include family, friends, economics, etc. Then there is the issue about what measures would be used. How do you define a successful teacher? One who can show numbers, or one who can also build confidence in a student who has experienced past failures in order to encourage future learning? What about different school structures? There are teachers who are teaching three or four different areas and some who only teach one. Prep times vary, and are never long enough...and the list goes on...but now my lunch is over and I must teach!"
-- Lori Bogen, ESL/Career Discovery/Readiing/Spanish, +, Sheridan School District, Sheridan, Oregon

"Teacher merit pay can be positive or negative. If it is simply based on test scores it isn't going to work. Other things need to be taken into consideration like continued education, student growth etc. I cannot say that merit pay is good or bad, it depends on how it is put together."
-- Heather Baskin, GT Facilitator, MCVSD #51, Rocky Mountain Elementary, Clifton, CO

"No, it promotes individualism rather than collaboration, competition rather than teamwork, and creates an environment of backstabbing among teachers."
-- Mrs. Smith, teacher, Glenbrook District 225, Northbrook, IL

"No, because it will create competition not co-operation between teachers."
-- Beverly, HaagenTexas

"I do not believe it is a good idea because teachers have no control over home issues such as bedtime, food, or discipline. If a student comes to school having gone to bed at 1:00 A.M. , how is that student expected to be able to learn? How can the teacher teach a student who cannot keep their hands to themselves because they've never learned to do so? How can a teacher teach a student who is more concerned, (and rightly so), about where their next meal is coming from or where they will be sleeping that night?"
-- Anonymous

"no, becaused who is to really say who is teaching better than anyone else. I do think that in our school, an approved private school, that having certain years of service should account for more money."
-- Anonymous

"I do not feel that merit pay is a good idea. There are too many parameters that cannot be controlled. Obviously teachers teaching upper level courses should have better performing students. Communities with a higher income, more parents with high school and college diplomas always tend to score better on standardized test. I always like the analogy of the dentist. One working in a high income area with fluoride in their water would have few cavities than one working in a poorer community. Incentive pay would mean that the first dentist would get more money than the second dentists because the first dentist should have fewer patients with cavities. We are all not getting the same raw materials yet we are expected to turn out the same product."
-- Deborah Retman, Biology Teacher, Piqua City Schools, Piqua, Ohio

"I am absolutely opposed to merit pay for teachers, as I believe it will lead to further discrimination against students. As teachers, we should welcome ALL students into our classes; however we are also human and therefore fallible. For instance, if you are a math teacher and eligible to receive merit pay if your students score well, and you notice a student (or students) on your class roster who are known for their lack of academic ability, you might be inclined to begrudge that student(s). These students could easily become targets for discrimination and bias, by those who should be working the hardest to help them. It is examples like this and others that remind me that teachers should NOT be rewarded with merit pay; instead the salaries of ALL teachers should be increased to reflect the importance of teachers in general."
-- Debbie, Gifted Facilitator, Bloomfield R-14, Bloomfield, MO

"Sure it is, as long as it is decided by teachers, administrators, and the community as to what deserves merit pay. It does not have to be a one-size-fits-all system for the entire nation; it would be based on each district's needs. I also believe it should go above and beyond what we are already paid now. It should not affect the current pay scale and customary increases, especially if the district's teachers have and support a union. This could be a win-win situation for everyone if done properly."
-- Colene Hardy, 8th Grade Language Arts Teacher, District 67 Deerpath Middle School, Lake Forest, IL

"No. 1. As there has been recent cases were students have paid other students to exact their revenge on Teachers, what is there to stop them from purposely failing and coercing others to follow suit? 2. Because of No Child Left behind, Schools hands are tied when it comes to disruptive students because schools have to cut down on suspensions. Therefore many of these students may receive a "talking to" then are sent back to class and in most cases, unless the student hits another the teacher is to deal with the disruptive student. Also in many cases when you've contacted the parents over and over the parents begin to attack you as if you're the problem and their child hasn't done any thing wrong. A prime example: I have a student who won't work, kicks the table, is rude, and disrespectful; The mother's response is that I am in the wrong profession if table kicking bothers me and since the story that she gets from her child is always different I am an ignorant unprofessional liar. 3. How would resource teachers such as Art, Music, P.E., Librarians, Title I Math and Reading fit into the equation? How would we merit merit pay?"
-- Michelle Branch, Art Teacher

"Merit pay is one of those ideas that is great in theory. How will they determine who gets the bonuses? By test scores? I happen to have 7 IEP students in my regular ed. class of 22 this year. The teacher next door has 0 IEP students. Her test scores will be higher. Does it mean that she's working harder? Could merit pay be based on after school dedication and activities. What about the young parents who give 100% to the job, but need to go home at the end of the day to be with their children? Maybe merit pay would be based on improved test scores. Do you think there could be unethical teachers who will cheat on standardized tests to get higher pay? I just don't understand how it will be judged."
-- Anonymous

"No. It is a sujective way of doing things and unfortunately not all of those who would be assessing are not equitable to their non-friends. Also, try as hard as we may try, test scores do not necessarily show the quaslity of the efforts the teacher had utilized."
-- Anonymous

"No, not everyone is an actor/actress to perform for observers. How can they assure that they are not changing answers or teaching the test when students are not taking a section? Don't you think that will bring out the worst behavior in people?"
-- R Sikes, 7th grade language arts/literature teacher, APS, Albuquerque, NM

"Bad idea. It puts all of the accountability on the teacher. That's a mistake. Teachers can't be solely responsible for students. The district administration needs to provide high levels of professional development and opportunities for teachers to work in professional learning communities in order for teachers to reach their full potential and reach each student. Teachers don't know what they don't know; they need to be constant learners as well as teachers. Districts must not fail their teachers in providing opportunities for professional growth. In addition, parents need to step to up and do their part to support the educational process. "Process," that is the key word. Teachers alone do not make up the educational process. It is a joint effort by teachers, administrators, and parents. When one of those three parts fails, the whole process struggles. I believe I would support merit pay for teachers if it also included merit pay for administrators and evidence that all the parts of the "process" were contributing to changing the status quo of education. Without such, I would not support merit pay and stand by this statement: Merit pay for teachers ignores the "process" and mistakenly holds only the teachers accountable. That is a mistake. That is the coward's way, pass the buck way of accountability in a failed system of change."
-- Steve Lindenmuth, Teacher

"Like most ideas, teacher merit pay is neither good nor bad. Rather it is an idea. How it is implemented, what the purpose is, what factors are considered in giving merit pay all play a part in assigning value to the idea. I've worked with some amazing teachers who went well above and beyond the normal day to day in order to help a student. These teachers deserve some recognition (although they'd generally be the last to ask for it). However, basing merit pay on a once a year test would definitely be a bad idea."
-- Marie Woznicki-Likavec, teacher, West Branch-Rose City Schools, Rose City, MI

"No! In my district, starting at grade 3, the gifted and talented students are clustered into one classroom at each grade level. There are no special ed students in these classrooms. These classes will always make growth and meet AYP. The other classes may not depending on number of behavior problems, special ed students, etc. Plus these students have little or no role models in the classrooms. Also, what about the specialized teachers at both elementary and secondary levels? I am talking about the math and literacy specialists, art, music, PE, library, shop, home ec, etc. How are these teachers judges in order to receive merit pay?"
-- Gale Yanish, Elementary Math Specialist, Elko County/ Sage Elementary, Spring Creek, NV

"I have to question the idea of merit pay. What qualifications/standards would a teacher have to meet to receive merit pay? How would merit pay be disbursed? Would the requirements to receive merit pay be similar to national board certification? How would the pay be distributed and by whom? Local school officials? State departments of education? The U.S. Department of Education?"
-- William Blake, Teacher, Portsmouth/Churchland, Portsmouth, VA

"no no no no no!!!!"
-- Anonymous

"As always there are many sides to the argument. My question is, who decides which teacher receives a better salary? How is this assessed? By what standards are they judged by? Are the standards equal in value? Is this going to lead to many tiered system where merit teachers are going to be lured away to better schools in better socioeconomic neighbourhoods? If this leads to more standardized testing and a hierarchy of teaching then it will prove to be fruitless and create disparity in the teaching field. I am not in favour of it."
-- Greg Duval, Junior Teacher, Kawartha Pine Ridge, Courtice, Ontario

"It depends on how it is allocated. If it is going to be based on student test scores, it is not a good idea. It is not fair for a teacher who perhaps has gone over and above the call of duty teaching her students to be "punished" because some of them chose not to do what they knew to do on a high stakes test. If it is going to be based on one annual formal observation, it is not a good idea. Many teachers can produce a wonderful, hands-on, all students engaged 100% of the time for that one observation. The rest of the year is a different story. Merit pay is a good idea if it is based on a teacher's work during the entire year. If a teacher does an outstanding job all year long, her students will do well on any test."
-- Carmen Sanchez, 5th grade teacher, Seminary Hills Park, Fort Worth ISD, Fort Worth, TX

"I don't like the idea of merit pay because I cannot see how it would benefit elective teachers at all. It seems that merit pay depends on student test scores. How can gym teachers, music teachers, art teachers and other non-core teachers get merit pay?"
-- Sharon Mitchell, art teacher, KCMSD, Kansas City, MO

"No, not if we look only at test scores as we currently do. My students are ELLs, based on their test scores, it looks like they don't learn anything, but I do see improvement over time. Special education teachers are in the same position. In order for merit pay to work, we have to look at how we decide who is a "good teacher" and how we measure student progress. We work with people, not products, so the outcome is harder to put a number on. We also have to work with whatever "raw materials" we get. We don't have the option or desire of denying education to students that don't measure up. We still teach them to the best of our ability."
-- Brenda Krick-Morales, ELL teacher, School District of Lancaster/Reynolds Middle School, Lancaster, PA

"No, It would be more stressful for students. Also teachers would want the higher level learners so they can show growth and get more pay. Poor teachers would get under achiefing students and create more of a gap in their learning."
-- Dave Kelley, Teacher, Eastmont/ Sterling, East Wenatchee, WA

"GOOD IDEA! I am sick and tired of getting paid the same as teachers who don't do half the job I do. Only in the teaching profession can this happen. The unions that made this happen might be "good" for teachers, but they are bad for students!"
-- Joey, Teacher / Language Arts, GISD, Chaparral, NM

"It depends. Some teachers "brown nose" the administration folks to get ahead, without gaining student respect. Also, for those of us in ELL with brand new speakers of English- how would we stack up against the teachers of regular ed students? We wouldn't stand a chance. All my questions on Merit pay have to do with: how it would be implemented, what the criteria entails, if parent voices are part of that, then ELL teachers would be sacked because our parent population does not speak out about political issues because of their backgrounds. It would have to be one helluva plan for me to support it."
-- Jill Ragan, ELL Reading 7-12, Boise Language Academy, Boise, Id

"NO! NO! No! Who is to judge whether the teacher is good or bad? This is so opinion-based it scares me!!!"
-- Anonymous

"No...merit pay is a terrible idea for a number of reasons: 1. If merit is based upon principal assessment of teacher performance, then principal personal favorites will receive better pay than those who are not principal friends. 2. If merit is based upon student standardized achievement then those teachers (see above) who may receive a classroom of higher achievers will receive better pay than those who are working their tails off with the low achievers. 3. Most importantly, merit pay, regardless of the neutrality of the measurement basis will negatively affect collaborative, cooperative, teaching practices rather than foster faculty teamwork and cohesiveness."
-- Steve Yaffee, TOSA, LBUSD, Long Beach, CA

"NO...because there will be too much cheating. Parity in evaluation cannot be achieved. Too much politics. In addition, some students will not achieve no matter if the best teacher in the world was involved. Teachers' hands are tied. If students refuse to do work assigned, why should the teacher be accountable? How is that fair to the teacher? There are too many variables ( parent involvement, poverty, family life) teachers cannot influence. Legislators go by what looks good on paper not reality."
-- Jeanne Price, teacherTulsa, OK

"It is a horrible idea. We cannot control which students are sent to us to be educated. We should not be penalized for students whose parents are abusers, absent, and/or do not have parenting skills nor should teachers be rewarded for being fortunate enough to have students whose parents are involved. How about "merit pay" for students? Students from every situation should be rewarded for steady improvement and good grades over their 13 years of schooling. Students who show merit should be allowed to attend secondary schooling, appropriate to their aptitude and desires, either wholly or significantly subsidized. Teachers should absolutely be paid more, but I know that I would never get that pay if it were due to my students, and those of many, many teachers in my district. I see most students 5 hours per week. I cannot possibly compete with the drugs, alcohol, and physical abuse they see the all the remaining hours of their days. We do a very, very good job educating the students at my school and sending them on to secondary education and training, but meeting AYP is a challenge (100% proficiency by 2014?!?!). Because of this, teachers at my school would never see merit pay if it were based on some standard such as meeting AYP."
-- Cathy Cravens, Special Education Department Chair, Clark County School District, Indian Springs School, Indian Springs, NV

"Absolutely - merit pay is essential to give an incentive for teachers to go the extra mile. I teach Science in Texas, and the current statistics from TEA is that only 20% of the Texas High school Science teachers are both actually highly qualified AND are teaching at a higher level than the other 80%. I can attest to that. I have been brought in by several schools to help bring up their Science TAKS scores and have been successful each year - without merit pay! BUT, as a single mom and the hours I put into my teaching, I NEED to be recognized for my efforts. My students are more successful in college and potentially earn more money, which then has them paying more in taxes, over time. My experience has been that in a department of 10 teacher, only 3-4 of us actually get up and teach our kids each day. The others gave busy work and lots of worksheets, with no real instruction happening."
-- Anne T, Science Teacher, LOISD, Greenville, Texas

"Yes, because not everyone should be a teacher. Or perhaps after many years you get burned out. So you would not be as effective a teacher in the classroom as you should/could be. It should also be for school boards and administrators. The public school system is self destructing and pouring more money into is not helping. There needs to be some greater accountability from all who are involved in education. Many business base pay on results perhaps that should be considered for public education."
-- Mary, Homeschooler, Franklin, WI

"Merit Pay is NOT a good idea. Education is a career that incorporates many facets. We are here for the education of our children, not to outdo one another. Sharing, has been and always should be a major part of our job. Furthermore, no two districts, schools and classrooms can be compared equitably. Therefore it is difficult to compare one teacher over another teacher and be honestly fair about it...."
-- Anonymous

"Most of us got into teaching knowing that the pay wouldn't be great. Using money as an incentive won't make great teachers any better, and it certainly won't teach struggling teachers how to do a better job. My biggest concern with merit pay is what it would be based on. One test once a year does not show a student's growth. It does not take into account so many factors that decide which kids are proficient and which aren't. There are about twenty kids in my school that are homeless, and many more whose parents have six month leases so they move districts twice every year. How are these kids supposed to compete with students who's parents can afford private tutoring? I have worked in an affluent district before. I know that it was a lot less challenging than where I work now. I am now in a district where a good portion of the parents don't value education and are not supportive of their students scholastically. I have to work so much harder now to keep the kids engaged and I think it would be unfair to use the standards of NCLB to judge if a teacher is doing a good enough job to get extra pay."
-- Crystal Estey, St. Louis, Missouri

"No. Factors other than a person's teaching abilities could easiy come into play, such as whether the teacher is a "yes" man or what his or her relationship is with the person/s who decide on merit pay. I believe it would be based less on the teacher's teaching abilities and be more like a nepotism-type of logic--if I know you and like you, you get merit pay. If not, too bad. It adds another reason for a teacher to not speak up when they disagree with administration. Too few controlling too many."
-- Lynn P., special education student teacherEdinboro, PA

"No. Socioeconomic status is the mayor predictor of success. Should teachers of socioeconomic disadvantaged kids be punished for their results?"
-- Diana Amezaga, Teacher, Garland ISD, Garland, Texas

"I like the idea that good teachers are rewarded for their hard work. I put in many extra hours looking for interesting ways to teach my content and preparing my lessons. I get frustrated that some teachers in my school put in no extra time, simply teach the text and walk out the door- no differentiation, no performance assessments, etc.- yet they get paid the same or more than I do. However, I am fearful the merit pay system could be manipulated by some administrators to control teachers. I also find it difficult to trust that an administrator has a true picture of what is happening in my classroom in a short observation. Test scores are not a true picture of what is being taught in the classroom."
-- Sheri Wortham, teacher, Social Circle Schools, Social Circle, GA

"No - Lazy classroom teachers will have a lot of time to put together a great portfolio to present what they are "teaching." Teachers who actually move around the room and interact with students and create great lessons don't have the time to jump through the "portfolio hoop.""
-- Jill, Teacher, PWCS, Manassas, VA

"The way teacher merit pay is set up now is not a good idea. Favoritism easily plays into it. Also, teachers will be less likely to share ideas and help one another. People are human."
-- Kathy Carr, retired teacher

"Absolutely not. It will discourage teachers from wanting to teach in lower socio-economic schools."
-- Anonymous

"No! How will it be decided? Town by town? If it is based on "no child left behind" it's a joke! The teacher can be the most qualified in the business and have children going home to empy houses, parents working night and day to make ends meet, or single parent families. These children, as opposed to the parent who may be at home waiting to take Jr to soccer practice, may not get the help and support at the home to get his work in on time, stay healthy as to not miss school and therefore fall behind,etc. A school with 28 students per class is apt to have more problems in the classrooms then a school with 18 per class. So again, how is merit going to be measured? Years experience and education is still the best way, and of course administration observation."
-- Janet, music teacher, Connecticut

"No; it is impossible to fairly distribute it. Unless, that is, merit involves paying more to those who teach more challenging students."
-- John Diercks, Teacher, MSD Lawrence Township, Indianapolis, Indiana

"No. Teacher merit pay is based on how well your students do on tests!!!! It is also based on personalities. When we are evaluated, there is always bias included because the principal or vice principal have taught before and there is always a bias included on the way we present the lesson. I have always had great evaluations, for example, if you are a naturally quiet person and have a principal with the same personality it is great! However, if you are very outgoing and your principal is not, then it won't go as well. Our students are not hand-picked, except in some cases where the teachers divide the classes for the next year! This happens a lot! They send the students with behevior problems, special needs students, and low students to teachers they don't like and the high students to their teacher friends. As a teacher, I have seen this year after year! We do not know what we will get each year; it is based on who they have had before, special needs, problems at home, etc. Obama says, let's make the teachers accountable, but where is the parent accountability? You would not believe what comes into our classrooms from home. His kids go to private schools with other rich kids, ours do not! No, merit pay is not a good idea. Teacher in Corpus Christi, Texas"
-- Anonymous, 3rd Grade Teacher, CCISD, Corpus Christi, Texas

"It can be. However, schools must be careful to document reasons for such pay. In my school, it's clear that administration has a biased agenda, and as a result, many hard-working teachers who go out of their way to do more than required are overlooked, such as teachers who teach remediation classes. These students don't make splashy achievements. They may not even do much for a building's AYP. I wouldn't go out of my way to excel if my efforts were overlooked. And then, exactly what constitutes "merit"? Further education beyond what's required for certification? Publishing? Contributions to text development, such as evaluating texts? Being in a professional organization? State recognition that is part of being in the professional organization? Mentoring new staff? After school tutoring? Extra assignments whether paid or not? Volunteer efforts such as translating international transcripts? (So much work is part of running a school...) It's very complex"
-- Dasha Frangie, teacher, Dearborn Public Schools/Fordson High School, Dearborn, MI 48126

"Who decides what constitutes a "quality" teacher? What is used to determine it? If we were working in a factory making widgets, then quality could be determined. But as educators, our product is not an inanimate object. Our product comes to us with baggage that can in itself influence the "quality" of what we are able to produce. Until there is a tried and true system, and in my 28 years in the profession I have not seen one, I would be very leary of a merit pay system."
-- Kevan Hagen, Teacher/Librarian, George Washington Bush Middle School, Tumwater, WA

"Yes, if everyone knows the criteria in advance, this method of distribution becomes fair. If not, then the work becomes someone's opinion and possibly not valued evenly across the board."
-- Susan Wendt, Teacher, Hot Springs High School, Hot Springs, SD 57747

"As a teacher, I can see both advantages and disadvantages to merit pay. I, for one, would like to receive some recognition when my students do exceptionally well on standardized tests. It shows that I am doing the job I was trained to do and that I am doing it well. On the other hand, there are years when you have a group of students who just do not perform as well as expected on tests. Is that really a reflection on the teacher? I know some teachers who are opposed to merit pay simply because they refuse to change their ways of teaching, many of which are no longer effective with today's society. They are afraid that they will look bad! I see it as an incentive to better myself."
-- Pam Pirch, Second Grade Teacher, Holden R-III School District, Holden, MO

"Absolutely not! There are some things teachers have no control over and certain test scores are not always a reflection on the teacher. Students need to be held accountable!"
-- Anonymous

"Two-Edged Sword for core classes and electives, if tied to state-wide test then NO. If this is tied to an assessment by Administrators and verified with a portfolio and observations in classes then YES. Core classes (with some exceptions tie-in with state test) so electives are left out. Many electives are not standardized with tests and some vocational or life related courses very from school to school."
-- R. Lucero, Instructor, AFJROTC, Orange Cty PS, Orlando FL

"No. It may be alright for lower elementary school teachers when the students are learning new skills, but when a 4th or 5th grade teacher is still having to teach students how to hold a pencil, read basic words, and do basic mathematical functions in addition to teaching the 4th or 5th grade standards, that is not fair. For example - How can a teacher be held responsible for a student to find the volume of a rectangle (lxwxh) if the student does not know how to multiply?"
-- PE, Educator, DeKalb, Decatur, GA

"Yes, but it should be based on unannounced observations, not on student performance on the EOG."
-- Anonymous

"NO, because it's like a doctor who tries to teach a patient. He tells the patient what they need to do to speed healing and prescribes the correct medications, but it is the patient's decision if he follows the directions. In other words like the proverb " You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink." In many urban areas, parents don't see a value in education for their children. As hard as we try to lead them, they do what they want. In some schools parents are all over their children to excel. A teacher and parent and child have to want the same thing for it to work, so how could possibly get an averge or statistic on emotions and desires? Ridiculous"
-- Theresa Yarbrough, Teacher Science, DAllas ISD, DAllas Texas

"I am ambivalent about merit pay. If a baseline measure of the students is given at the beginning of the year and then regiven at the end, then merit pay would be all right. We hear people speak of merit pay, but what does it exactly mean? If it is based on something very few people could do because of the number of positions, like coaching, then I am against it. Would it be national or state by state. It is too early for me to make a rational decision without more information"
-- Marilyn Fahey, 4th grade teacher, Mascoutah #19/Scott Elementary School, Scott AFB,IL

"No! Favoritism; working for the pay and not for the kids; merit pay is not student centered; it is not about the student. Isn't that what teaching is about? Administrator's need to hire the best teachers in the first place and give them the tools to be able to do a great job."
-- A Teacher, Grants Pass Oregon

"Yes!!! In a time when I am at risk of losing my teaching jobs because of budget cuts, wouldn't it be nice if they would consider my merits rather than my time as a teacher. I have only been teaching for 4 years so there is about a 75% chance that I will not have a contract at the end of the school year, Yet my classes have posted really good test scores in our state mandated tests. I wish they would take these scores into consideration, rather than time in job."
-- Tammie S., 4th grade Teacher, Mesa Public Schools, Mesa, AZ

"It all depends on how it is implemented. If it is to pay teachers a bonus for extra work they do then fine. But if it is how basic pay is provided then it is not fine. The question I have is how is this measured? Not every child learns the same no matter how much a teacher helps them. If a child fails and the blame is placed on the teacher then this is a terrible idea. If that is the case almost all teachers as some point would not get paid due to the student's failure."
-- Van Craven, Mr., North Springs Charter High School, Atlanta, Ga

"no, threre are too many variables - you could get a class full of problems one year and a class full of angels the next. Plus, the above mentioned issued could be orchestrated by an administrator with an ax to grind. Excuse me for being cynical, but I've been burned by personal agendas before."
-- Anonymous, English teacher, Long Island, New York

"No, it's not a good idea. Teachers who choose to teach (or "get stuck" teaching) in low socio/economic schools should not be penalized for teaching students who may be lower academically due to factors beyond the teacher's control or apart from anything the teacher can do in the classroom and school. Paying teachers for the level of their students is not right. Conversely, students who start lower (often due to socio/economic factors) but are of normal intelligence and learning ability, can improve their scores very quickly, often growing more than a year's worth in a school year. Therefore paying teachers for student growth is not right, since some students start extremely high and don't grow as much, but still end up very high academically."
-- John Smith, teacher, Dubuque Community Schools, Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School, Dubuque, IA

"Teacher merit pay based on what? Test scores? If so, not a good idea! Teachers cannot choose the students they get in their classrooms. Merit pay based on test scores would prompt teachers to gravitate towards only schools with the "brightest and best" student populations. The schools with low income, and/or troubled students would suffer even more than they do now. How does that "Leave No Child Left Behind"?"
-- Janet Nesmith, Special Education Teacher, Omaha Public Schools-Integrated Learning Program, Omaha, NE

"I think it is a good idea, but shouldn't be based solely on student test scores. We are teaching students to be well rounded adults, to function in society and be custodians of the future...what they can do and how well they do it isn't always validated by a test. My students score poorly on tests but they understand the power of words, they can compromise, negotiate, find information, check for accuracy, come to class on time and be responsible for their class obligations...How do you score that on a test. I would hire them as employees however!"
-- Anonymous

"No. Not for special ed. teachers. Our students (special ed. pop. and even reg. ed. at times) are unpredictable. For example, how can you merit a severe profound teacher when their students may not be able to progress academically, physically, emotionally, cognitively, etc. It just isn't fair. Also there are too many variables that enter into the student's life, school's environment, surrounding environment, etc. that make even good teachers feel exhausted trying to students achievement scores, improve grades, improve the quality of the educational environment, and many other factors that we as teachers can not prevent, circumvent, or re-invent. Otherwise, if there was one magic wand that could assist us in "curing the problems and making all of our students perfect" then it would work. If merit pay is based upon the teacher's continuing educational practices (i.e. attending workshops, course credits being earned towards a higher degree or additional certifications), then I would definitly be supportive of teacher merit pay."
-- Helen Warden, Sp. Ed. Teacher, Jefferson Parish, Jefferson, LA

"Merit pay is not a good idea if it is based on the progress that a teacher makes with his/her students in a classroom. I have had some classes that it did not matter if I worked around the clock, they just did not progress at the rate that others did for a variety of reasons. Those teachers who taught the lower level students would have a more difficult time earning their raises. There does need to be something in place to rid the classroom of those teachers who are there simply for the paycheck, but I think that the problem could be solved if the "powers that be" were not so obsessed with making sure there is a warm body in the classroom."
-- Anonymous

"No. It is simply that there does not exist a comprehensive and fair instrument to evaluate the quality of a teacher. When one is found, then it would be fair. Having been in a system for a short time with merit pay, it just breeds animosity between teachers, and between teachers and supervisors."
-- Paul Hall, Math Instructor, Sullivan University, Louisville, Ky.

"No. School administrators cannot be trusted to fairly evaluate teachers. Classrooms can be unfairly loaded with students who score low on standardized tests. Politics and favoritism run rampant in the public schools."
-- Anonymous

"No, I think it would become a matter of not how well you are doing as a teacher, but how well you've developed your relationship with the person handing out the award. That feeling of satisfaction that comes from knowing I (as a teacher) am doing a great job is worth more than any amount of money, in my opinion."
-- Lisa

"No. We do not pick our classes like we choose produce at the supermarket. We get children of all different abilties and work with them to move forward. In many cases standardized tests will not show the improvement that all of children have made. Like the case from Chicago several years back..it could encourage cheating on the teacher's part ( heaven forbid) and then what...Invlalid tests, and the children who need help might not receive it because of inflated scores..leaving the following years teacher with the dilemna to carry on this deception or suffer since that year's test scores will possibly show a regression."
-- Anonymous

"No. I think that merit pay for the teachers is a good idea if all teachers have to deal with the same level of students. In the school where I teach the students are not evenly divided across ability levels or discipline. I think that teachers should be given a merit pay if they teach mostly at-risk or below poverty level students. Anyone can teach students that are in honor classes or are college bound and have good parent support but it takes a special person to teach behavioral problem or academically challenged students."
-- James, teacher, high School, Florence, SC

"Yes. Why reward incompetence the way unions do now. Good teachers should be paid more and those who shouldn't be in the profession should leave. Great teachers should earn more than good teachers. Teachers should be reviewed by students, parents, and principals. Let's take it even farther. Bad principals should make less than good principals. Principals should be reviewed by those under them as well as their superiors. Bad principals ruin the morale of an entire school. This same principle should be applied to the superintendent who should be reviewed by teachers, principals, staff, parents, and the Board. Our teaching system has rewarded mediocrity and the "can't do it, need more money" crowd for far too long. Let's show teachers that they are valued and pay them their worth."
-- H. Bolinger, Parent/Business owner, Jackson Local, Massillon, Ohio

"How can anyone ever objectively evaluate the "product" we produce when that product is not ever "finished"? It does not roll off an assembly line with a check list that a quality control manager can go back to and ask why a "certain part" was not installed at the "certain part" installation point. Those who tout merit pay for teachers because teachers are professionals, clearly have never set foot in a classroom as an adult."
-- Cathy Button, 7th Grade Educator, East Penn School District, Macungie PA

"No it isn't. Not all teachers would be entitled to it. If one is an elementary classroom teacher or a middle-high school academic teacher, they would qualify. However, if one is a specialist teacher: Art, Music, Physical Education, Health, or Librarian, they WOULD NOT be entitled because there is no standardized testing in those areas. Also, in lower economic communities, they are struggling with a variety of educational / socio-economic issues that are far more important and serious making it a very unfair, disadvantaged environment to implement any sort of merit-based teacher salary. Implementing such an unfair, competative working situation does not service the education of our children. The school climate would change from a student-centered learning environment to a teacher-centered toxic, competative, cut-throat environment. Teachers are rewarded with stipends, generated via their union contracts, for after school activities. Not all teachers are able to make themselves available to participate in after school activities due to familial and personal obligations. Implementing merit-based pay would create favoritism to those who are able to make themselves available for after school activities and put unecessary pressure and stress on those who cannot."
-- Anonymous, Canton, MA

"Teacher merit pay is not a good idea because there are too many factors (affecting a child's achievement) that teacher's have no control over. I can not forsee how such a program could be fair to students or teachers."
-- Anonymous

"No! No one seems able to implement this in a fair manner. Student achievement is too dependent on who the students are to ever be a fair assessment."
-- Anonymous

"I think that teacher merit pay can work if it is implemented in the proper way. Typically, a school's or district's success or failure is not based on the excellent or poor performance of one teacher. Instead, it is a whole faculty that works together to help children to learn. Thus, if there were some incentives in a contract or merit pay structure that rewarded a whole group of teachers, i.e. a school or district faculty, it would encourage teachers to collaborate and to work for the good of all. Awarding merit pay to individual teachers based on performance encourages unhealthy competition at the expense of the students. Strong collaborative faculties will lift up the marginal teacher and benefit students the most."
-- Michael Bates, Teacher, Kenston Local School District, Bainbridge, Ohio

"No. Teaching is a collaborative profession and if merit pay were to be allowed, no teacher would want to help eachother."
-- Meryl Drescher, Teacher, 31/PS 50, Staten Island, NY

"Merit pay based on student scores is not a good idea because not all students are going to receive proficient or excellent test scores for reasons such as test fear, not feeling well, behavior issues, family problems or peer problems. Student ability also enters into the picture. The same students are usually not taught by the same teachers every year. What about the special education teachers? Sometimes their students do not have the abilities of "regular" or "gifted" students. Because merit pay can be so subjective and based on personalities. this is not a valid way to reward teachers. Why not offer educational opportunities such as attending professional meetings or a specific amount ot money for college classes instead."
-- Anonymous

"Yes and no, it depends on how they will determine if you are a "good teacher". If they are going to base this on "student performance" than I don't agree. If you teach, you understand that there are different performance levels in schools due to demographics. If they are going to base this on a teacher "teaching", than I agree."
-- Susan Faulkner, , Hinds County School District, Terry, Mississippi

"I am 53 years old and have been a teacher for 11 years. Prior to entering the field of education I worked in private industry, where merit pay is common practice, and I strongly believe in it. In a school setting, however, the administration of such a program may be problematic. Is it possible for one or two administrators to have enough knowledge of fifty to sixty teachers so that their retention or termination can be reliably recommended? In private industry the responsibility is typically spread amongst more supervisory personnel."
-- Anonymous

"I do not think teacher merit pay is a good idea. Who is to say what constitutes a good teacher; high test scores? What if you do not teach a testing grade. Every teacher0 is good in his or her own way. We all have own way of teaching that brings out the best in students. If a child cannot learn there are many factors that contribute to this, you cannot always blame the teacher. A teacher may have a class that is non-English speaking. How can that teacher be judged for a raise when their test scores or report cards may not be as good as English speaking children. Just getting one child to flourish in English is enough for an award and praise should be given to that teacher. This subject of merit pay will stir a lot of controversy and hot under the collar conversations. This should be very interesting!"
-- Annamarie Tromp, Teacher, PS 79, Whitestone, NY