Viewing: merit pay
And My Job Quality is Based on These Tests?! (Updated)
So clearly we’ve all been thinking a lot about the necessity of test scores in making high stakes decisions. I mean, test scores seem to be used in everything these days: teacher evaluations, a student’s college or career readiness, merit
Merit Pay Nickle-and-Diming
Education Weekly is reporting that there can be negative consequences from some merit pay programs. It cites evidence from the private sector, claiming that offerring extra compensation pay hasn’t worked in the past. Yet ASCD Smartbrief is also reporting that “Obama
5 Things Teachers can do to Improve Teaching
We all know there are many problems in education and not one bullet to solve any one of them. We as teachers can’t do a lot about many of the factors that have huge influence on student success: parental involvement,
The mythical superhuman teacher
Yes, there are many problems in education. But many of them boil down to the fact that we are a cadre of professionals who are taken advantage of as part of the job requirement.
Teaching Secrets: Finding a Job That You Love
Know a teacher who got a pink slip? Maybe my newest post at Teacher Magazine can help. Click here for the article. It’s Step 1 of my Top Secret New Teacher Handbook. Hope it creates some shortcuts, a machete even,
Top 10: How to Take Control of Your Teaching
How can you take control of your teaching, both literally and internally? Read my Top 10 list that advises a teacher on how to get what you need in this demanding job of ours, how to survive it, and how to love it.
Am I So Past My Prime?
Somehow, and maybe I’m reading into it here, I feel a little written off already. Education Week is reporting that some districts are pondering the possibility of “front-loading” new teacher salaries, increasing their compensation earlier in their career to aid
Joanne Jacobs comment:”Stop facilitating and start teaching”
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer posts a not-so-intelligent take on teacher vs. student-directed classrooms.
This Totally Beats the “#1 Teacher” Mug
I received a note from an old student of mine. I wanted to share it with you. May you all get such a moment in your careers to see the influence you once had on someone.
Credential Programs: Give us your money and we’ll give you a classroom
I comment on the Education Week's article, Busywork 101.
Teacher Observations: Principals vs. the Union
Why does the union stand in the way of getting rid of a bad teacher? Doesn't that undermine the work of other teachers?
Don’t Knock the Less Experienced Teacher
I know the use of new teachers in harder-to-teach classrooms is frowned upon, but maybe they have some pros in the face of so many cons: energy, passion, and flexibility.
Top Ten #9: Don’t Work for Free
This article expands on my Tip #9: Don't Work for Free. It explores our own responsibility as teachers in how we're not compensated for our true work hours.
Fundraising Stinks
With the passing of the nutrition laws in education, fundraising education now falls on the shoulders of the teachers. Maybe districts need to figure out how to fund their programs instead.
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Here’s why test scores shouldn’t be the only criteria…
By heather on February 18, 2009
OK, so my first period’s “Advanced” group went up 40% between their 1st district assessment and their 2nd. Another period went up 37%. Even my Honors class went from 81% Advanced to 97% Advanced, with only 1 student found in