10 Most Innovative Ways to Pay Teachers
Posted on Wednesday August 1, 2012
by Staff Writers
With
merit pay for teachers surging through political debates these days,
detractors to the whole system might prefer keeping alternative methods
of making sure teachers receive adequate compensation in mind. Some
schools, cities, and states — even enterprising individuals — believe
these strategies will address the issues associated with both the
current system and the controversial merit pay alike. Whether or not
they grow into the new norm elsewhere, or fizzle out over time remains
to be seen, but for now let’s watch and see how things develop.
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Honestly, this strategy comes off as more cruel than genuinely
innovative on the outset, but it’s still an alternative idea. But a
paper fronted by Freakonomics author Steven Levitt of the
University of Chicago floats the theory that teachers might perform
better if they receive up-front bonuses that could — should their
students fail to live up to expectations — get yanked at the end of the
semester. For merit pay detractors who realize that sometimes kiddos
just don’t do so hot, no matter how much their otherwise competent,
hard-working teachers try, this fear-based approach seems just as
spiteful. Supporters, however, point out that the ongoing experiments,
thus far, prove that the fear of loss actually leads to
“over-performing students.”
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Several education experts and schools think a tiered raise
structure rather than a straightforward one or full-blown merit pay
might provide better compensation for teachers. Rather than judging
them exclusively on how well their students perform, the system of
several different tiers also allows for financial rewards based on
professional development, experience, and other factors. Harvard’s
Susan Moore Johnson and John Papay analyzed the issues associated with
merit pay and devised a four-point plan to ensure educators receive
salaries based on every indicator of career success. This not only
addresses serious issues tied into an exclusive merit pay system, but
also takes into account teachers’ desire for support and respect rather
than just money.
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Similarly, schools such as Summit Prep in San Francisco,
reformatted the typical merit pay structure so student performance only
comprised a small slice of their teachers’ overall salaries. Rewards
for professional development and other initiatives to improve one’s
career standing also factor into deciding how much they make, and peer-
and self-assessments play a role in determining who deserves what. It’s
a better-rounded concept that understands how educator success and
efficacy present themselves through more conduits than just
standardized test scores. Upward movement focuses on how well the
teachers master classroom content and pass it on — a more blended
approach that seems to inspire grand results.
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City officials in Baltimore launched the Good Neighbors Program
as a means of rewarding individuals necessary for keeping everything
together (firefighters, law enforcement officials, teachers etc.). If
they agree to purchase a once-abandoned home, the initiative rewards
them with $5,000 toward both their down payment and the associated
closing costs. Doing so helps lure great teachers into neighborhoods,
reinvigorates the vacant houses, and keeps Baltimore’s students
educated, which ultimately benefits everyone in the city!
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Teachers who agree to lend their talents to low-income areas
for five full, consecutive years, provided they meet a few other
criteria, receive eligibility to see up to $17,500 of their student
loans forgiven by the feds. Everyone knows the starting salaries for
educators stand as (usually!) quite paltry considering the necessary
services they provide, and adding college debt on top of that only
renders their situations even more fiscally stressful. With this
arrangement, students in impoverished schools receive educations from
top talent, who in turn have one less thing to worry about when it
comes to chipping away at what they owe their lenders.
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Rather than receiving additional payment from the districts
themselves, some educators turn towards the Teachers Pay Teachers
website to supplement their incomes. Schools and teachers alike turn to
the “open marketplace” to sell and purchase classroom materials, with
everything from simple supplies to full-blown lesson plans covering
every subject out there. And the money goes straight towards the
teachers themselves! The company refers to it as “free market merit
pay.” In addition, Teachers Pay Teachers also acts as a great social
network for education professionals wanting to independently exchange
ideas and insights about how to best serve students.
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Although Maine governor Paul LePage stomped out a bill
financially rewarding teachers for national certification and mentoring
owing to its pro-gay marriage and pro-union stance in 2012, the ideas
behind it do deserve consideration. Were the legislation to pass, older
teachers would’ve received up to $3000 in additional pay annually if
they agreed to mentor younger ones just entering into the industry.
Others could earn a little extra by participating in national
certification programs enriching their classroom skills. One drawback
of the Maine proposal saw some of the funding parsed out of teacher
salaries, which is counterproductive, so any districts looking to
implement the idea might want to consider alternative methods.
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Rather than paying off student loans after college wraps up,
some organizations, like the Illinois Student Assistance Commission,
willingly waive the tuition of teachers working under specific
conditions. Its Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver
Program stands as one example of this pay incentive. Any qualified
applicants accepted into the initiative receive full tuition to
four-year higher education institutions, provided they agree to stay
and teach in Illinois-based special ed classrooms upon graduation.
Should they fail to deliver, the money received becomes a loan instead.
Because so many schools hurt for great special education teachers, this
program provides financial peace of mind and ensures students receive
lessons from the most qualified individuals.
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New York City is one such region distributing bonuses to
schools who show improvement rather than individual teachers, believing
it offers up even more incentive for everyone to chip in and challenge
underprivileged students to succeed. Administrators and staff decide
whether or not to participate, too, so any additional pay comes because
of opting in rather than seeing such a structure forced onto them
without any input. It functions similar to merit pay, with bonuses
rewarded based on how well students perform on standardized tests, but
everyone involved reaps the benefits. Year One saw 62% of schools and
80% of teachers receiving a grand total of $21.9 million in financial
rewards.
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Not reducing the salaries of hardworking administrators, of
course. Instead, institutions like The Equity Project Charter School
pay some of their teaching staff six figures of fun because they
streamlined their entire staff. They don’t offer up vice principal
positions, for example, and accept volunteers. As a result, the
generous salaries for educating some of New York City’s
poorest-performing students keep educators sticking around, grateful
that they can make a living wage with what they love and not have to
constantly search for openings elsewhere.
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