New teacher merit pay plan goes to Crist (Miami, Lakeland: salary, job)

[sunrico90]

Is this the solution for the teachers merit pay plan?

The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, or FCAT, and other standardized exams would continue to pay a big part in determining which teachers qualify for performance bonuses under the new Merit Award Program, as they do with the existing program. School districts would have more flexibility, though, in creating local performance pay plans than permitted by the Special Teachers Are Rewarded, or STAR, program enacted last year.

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/mar/23/new_teacher_merit_pay_plan_goes_crist/?state (broken link)

[sunrico90]

Info for teachers seeking info....

Teachers salary info:
http://www.firn.edu/doe/eias/eiaspubs/pdf/tchsal06.pdf (broken link)

Florida Teaching web site
http://www.teachinflorida.com/

[blissblessed1]

It is a ridiculous plan. One which will create more strife between teachers and promote more favortism between administrators and staff.
Our union voted it down and the state threatened to pull millions of dollars in funding for programs if we did not accept.
Is that blackmail?
ALso, what about those of us in the inner city schools that just can't beat the odds against family issues(drugs, broken homes, etc) NO MATTER HOW HARD WE TRY!!!!!!!!!

[Retiredcoach]

School choice and teacher merit pay have become synonymous with projected school improvement throughout the country. What factor appears to be missing is that affluence has a far greater impact than many would anticipate. The richer the area, the greater the school resources and achievement levels are always the highest. Sad to say, but it is a whole lot easier to teach a group of students whose parents have money, are involved, are culturally enriched, and are well educated themselves. Unfortunately in most merit systems, teachers who draw the greatest percentage of their class loads from this affluent base are the most rewarded through merit (and are often not a school's best teachers). What teacher, with any level of intelligence or political affiliation, not challenge administrators to give them rosters that will insure their almost guaranteed success... and higher pay? Who is going to want to teach those students who are coming to school with learning disabilities, language deficits, limited resources, etc? This is a bad plan.... ugly politics will rear their ugly heads and Florida children will serve as the pawns!!

[tasdad4701]

Originally Posted by Retiredcoach

School choice and teacher merit pay have become synonymous with projected school improvement throughout the country. What factor appears to be missing is that affluence has a far greater impact than many would anticipate. The richer the area, the greater the school resources and achievement levels are always the highest. Sad to say, but it is a whole lot easier to teach a group of students whose parents have money, are involved, are culturally enriched, and are well educated themselves. Unfortunately in most merit systems, teachers who draw the greatest percentage of their class loads from this affluent base are the most rewarded through merit (and are often not a school's best teachers). What teacher, with any level of intelligence or political affiliation, not challenge administrators to give them rosters that will insure their almost guaranteed success... and higher pay? Who is going to want to teach those students who are coming to school with learning disabilities, language deficits, limited resources, etc? This is a bad plan.... ugly politics will rear their ugly heads and Florida children will serve as the pawns!!

Great job I agree, my wife is concerned also. She starts in Lakeland in August,
she wonders if she will receive any help from teachers. This puts new teachers in a negative setting from the get go.

[blissblessed1]

Originally Posted by tasdad4701

Great job I agree, my wife is concerned also. She starts in Lakeland in August,
she wonders if she will receive any help from teachers. This puts new teachers in a negative setting from the get go.

All well stated here. I am deeply concerned about next year. A word about new teachers in the Miami Fellowship program from my perspective. Altho degreed in another area, they did not appear to be open to help. Their attitudes have been interesting. Unfortunately our school departmentalized this year. My partners only experience came from a setting in Africa with the Peace Corps. Very montessori like discipline plan. Does NOT work in inner city. Structure and consistency is needed and a reward based system.
She shunned everything I offered, very politley and subtley through out the year.Needless to say, there was not much progress made this year. I would have loved to have had someone like me around my first years.

Also, the departmentalization and the STAR program seem contradictory to me. Departmentalization dimishes accountability. STAR promotes it. Go figure!

My experience in MDPSC has been one of constant change every year for everyone.

I have asked to be moved to 2nd grade so that I may be self contained. I have been a 3rd grade teacher in the inner city for years and have shown progress every year. I guess I can hold this close to my heart.

Lakeland will probably be more team oriented than MDCPS, even if it is STAR based.