Theresa makes a great point about merit pay. I teach an elective science (earth science) to HS juniors who take my class if they feel they can’t hack chemistry. About half of them go into the trades, the rest to community college. These are rough-and-tumble kids who are thrilled to get Cs. I have spent over a decade crafting creative, involved lessons, and I still feel like I’m about halfway there. I love my job to pieces, and last year I became Nationally Board Certified.

Across the hall, my colleague teaches a senior elective (anatomy), one that is mostly populated by well-behaved kids at the top of the class. Discipline issues in her class are rare. However, she complains constantly, and teaches out of the book.

If we were to receive merit pay based on our students’ performance (the current proposal), of course she’d be the one to get it. But although my kids are loath to put pen to paper, they listen to me, and I know they are learning. And they’re enjoying it. They tell me every year, and the letters I get from students are a testament to that.

I guess my point is this: it’s complicated. Very. It’s a big gray area because passion is impossible to quantify. I am also thrilled that he brings up the irrelevance of advanced degrees, because that is a position I have held strongly for years.

Reform needs to begin in universities, where teachers are prepared. My education classes in college were 90% worthless. If we could do something about parental involvement, obviously we would see a sea change in student achievement, but we have to focus on what we can control.

Finally, I will say this: In this economy, I am grateful to be underpaid on my rigid salary schedule, because at least it’s something.

At the very least, master teachers should do the evaluation, rather than professional administrators. The average principal in my experience hasn’t taught a class for decades, if ever.

Of course I’d rather have a good teacher in a “bad” school than the reverse, but what are you supposed to do for the next year? Can parents steer their kids into particular teachers’ classes?

Theresa (went to underfunded but basically functional small-town public school K-12, and my mom and grandma were teachers)