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education Experience orAchievement? F Teacher Compensation: ment?m romthe floorof the Florida State Legislatur coffeebreak rooms of local high schools, teacher compensation has dominated conversations over the past few months. With the recent fi over Senate Bill 6, the issue has gained a lot of attention, but teacher compensation has been a struggle for several years. isla ools nve cent a lo bee d t fi ot of en The question over how teachers should be paid for their services has been hotly ould hotly ly debated.Many teachers like the current system based on experience. While other people with an interest in the issue suggest student achievement should play a greater role. system based an inter Teacher compensation is determined by local school boards and state law, and Alachua County teachers are paid according to state requirements. “We pay salaries according to law, and laws change,” said Keith Birkett, assistant superintendent for planning and budget for the Alachua County School Board. Local teachers currently receive payment based on their teaching experience both in Florida and outside of the state, as well as on the level of higher education degrees they have earned, Birkett said. These degrees range from bachelor’s degrees to specialist degrees and doctorates The only payments based on student achievementusedbythe school boardare those that International Baccalaureate teachers receive if their students pass their IB exams with scores of three or higher, which is funded through the state. These teachers receive $50 per student per test, up to a total of $2,000. Teachers use a variety of methods to stimulate students. Photo courtesy of Alachua County Public Schools. This year, the state legislature took a stand on the issue with the passage of Senate Bill 6, which would have altered teacher compensation systems around Florida by requiring the use of students’ yearly achievements to determine half of a teacher’s evaluation, according to an April article by the Miami Herald. This evaluation would have played an important role in calculating that teacher’s pay. Newly hired teachers would also have been employed based on contracts that based tenure on performance. Despite his early support Governor Charlie Crist vetoed the legislation in April. While this bill received strong reactions from people on both sides, Florida Education Commissioner Eric Smith said in a press release from the Florida Department of Education that 78 HOME Living In the Heart of Florida LivingInTheHeartOfFlorida.com ature to the s Teachers Demand aVoice They Receive ompensat ompensation By M tio B e elop an e would com their su de our com our greatest educators and commend them for what they hav been able to accomplish,” mp uc es o g mm veb that it would be neither a bonus program nor a pay cut for teachers. that it would be neither a bo Senate Bill 6 was not the first attempt to connect student achievement and teacher compensation. Some districts have already added student achievement-based considerations into their teacher payment systems. The Denver Public Schools district created its “ProComp” programin 2004, which gave teachers the chance to earn bonuses and raises based in part on student achievement. Teachers could also receive compensation for attending training programs or working in schools that struggle with poverty and other academic challenges, according to the Denver Public SchoolsWeb site. The District of Columbia Public Schools adopted a similar plan, agreeing in April to include student achievement in its compensation plan by offering bonuses based on positive student test scores, according to the school district’sWeb site. The district developed its plan with theWashington Teachers’ Union, which allowed teachers to have a voice in the decision rather than watch the plan unfold without the chance to add their own input. The Alachua County Public Schools Foundation works with students by offering scholarships and mentoring programs, as well as by providing grants to teachers for teaching aids and other learningenhancement tools.ExecutiveDirector Rick Mulligan says it is important to include teachers in compensation plans so they have a say in how they are paid for their services. Many teachers feel as though they cannot affect teacher compensation rules, but the importance of their jobs makes it important to ensure they feel fully engaged in the education process, from teaching their students to deciding how they will be paid. “You want teachers to be in partnership with the system, with the taxpayers and with the community,” said Mulligan. “You want that sense of cooperation because they are the people on the ground every day in those classrooms, making a difference in the future of our kids’ lives.They have to feel included and, indeed, be included.” em y e By Morgan Watkins e the state three years to elop an evaluation system that would compensate teachers for their successes with students. described the program as xperience orAchievement? F Teacher Compensation: ment?m romthe floorof the Florida State Legislatur coffeebreak rooms of local high schools, teacher compensation has dominated conversations over the past few months. With the recent fi over Senate Bill 6, the issue has gained a lot of attention, but teacher compensation has been a struggle for several years. isla ools nve cent a lo bee d t fi ot of en The question over how teachers should be paid for their services has been hotly ould hotly ly debated.Many teachers like the current system based on experience. While other people with an interest in the issue suggest student achievement should play a greater role. system based an inter Teacher compensation is determined by local school boards and state law, and Alachua County teachers are paid according to state requirements. “We pay salaries according to law, and laws change,” said Keith Birkett, assistant superintendent for planning and budget for the Alachua County School Board. Local teachers currently receive payment based on their teaching experience both in Florida and outside of the state, as well as on the level of higher education degrees they have earned, Birkett said. These degrees range from bachelor’s degrees to specialist degrees and doctorates The only payments based on student achievementusedbythe school boardare those that International Baccalaureate teachers receive if their students pass their IB exams with scores of three or higher, which is funded through the state. These teachers receive $50 per student per test, up to a total of $2,000. Teachers use a variety of methods to stimulate students. Photo courtesy of Alachua County Public Schools. This year, the state legislature took a stand on the issue with the passage of Senate Bill 6, which would have altered teacher compensation systems around Florida by requiring the use of students’ yearly achievements to determine half of a teacher’s evaluation, according to an April article by the Miami Herald. This evaluation would have played an important role in calculating that teacher’s pay. Newly hired teachers would also have been employed based on contracts that based tenure on performance. Despite his early support Governor Charlie Crist vetoed the legislation in April. While this bill received strong reactions from people on both sides, Florida Education Commissioner Eric Smith said in a press release from the Florida Department of Education that 78 HOME Living In the Heart of Florida LivingInTheHeartOfFlorida.com ature to the s Teachers Demand aVoice They Receive ompensat ompensation By M tio B e elop an e would com their su de our com our greatest educators and commend them for what they hav been able to accomplish,” mp uc es o g mm veb that it would be neither a bonus program nor a pay cut for teachers. that it would be neither a bo Senate Bill 6 was not the first attempt to connect student achievement and teacher compensation. Some districts have already added student achievement-based considerations into their teacher payment systems. The Denver Public Schools district created its “ProComp” programin 2004, which gave teachers the chance to earn bonuses and raises based in part on student achievement. Teachers could also receive compensation for attending training programs or working in schools that struggle with poverty and other academic challenges, according to the Denver Public SchoolsWeb site. The District of Columbia Public Schools adopted a similar plan, agreeing in April to include student achievement in its compensation plan by offering bonuses based on positive student test scores, according to the school district’sWeb site. The district developed its plan with theWashington Teachers’ Union, which allowed teachers to have a voice in the decision rather than watch the plan unfold without the chance to add their own input. The Alachua County Public Schools Foundation works with students by offering scholarships and mentoring programs, as well as by providing grants to teachers for teaching aids and other learningenhancement tools.ExecutiveDirector Rick Mulligan says it is important to include teachers in compensation plans so they have a say in how they are paid for their services. Many teachers feel as though they cannot affect teacher compensation rules, but the importance of their jobs makes it important to ensure they feel fully engaged in the education process, from teaching their students to deciding how they will be paid. “You want teachers to be in partnership with the system, with the taxpayers and with the community,” said Mulligan. “You want that sense of cooperation because they are the people on the ground every day in those classrooms, making a difference in the future of our kids’ lives.They have to feel included and, indeed, be included.” em y e By Morgan Watkins e the state three years to elop an evaluation system that would compensate teachers for their successes with students. described the program as opportunity opportunity to elevate
Teacher Compensation: Experience Or Achievement?
Morgan Watkins
From the fl oor of the Florida State Legislature to the coffee break rooms of local high schools, teacher compensation has dominated conversations over the past few months. With the recent fi ght over Senate Bill 6, the issue has gained a lot of attention, but teacher compensation has been a struggle for several years.
The question over how teachers should be paid for their services has been hotly debated. Many teachers like the current system based on experience. While other people with an interest in the issue suggest student achievement should play a greater role.
Teacher compensation is determined by local school boards and state law, and Alachua County teachers are paid according to state requirements.
“We pay salaries according to law, and laws change,” said Keith Birkett, assistant superintendent for planning and budget for the Alachua County School Board.
Local teachers currently receive payment based on their teaching experience both in Florida and outside of the state, as well as on the level of higher education degrees they have earned, Birkett said. These degrees range from bachelor’s degrees to specialist degrees and doctorates The only payments based on student achievement used by the school board are those that International Baccalaureate teachers receive if their students pass their IB exams with scores of three or higher, which is funded through the state.
These teachers receive $50 per student per test, up to a total of $2,000.
This year, the state legislature took a stand on the issue with the passage of Senate Bill 6, which would have altered teacher compensation systems around Florida by requiring the use of students’ yearly achievements to determine half of a teacher’s evaluation, according to an April article by the Miami Herald. This evaluation would have played an important role in calculating that teacher’s pay. Newly hired teachers would also have been employed based on contracts that based tenure on performance.
Despite his early support Governor Charlie Crist vetoed the legislation in April.
While this bill received strong reactions from people on both sides, Florida Education Commissioner Eric Smith said in a press release from the Florida Department of Education that it would give the state three years to develop an evaluation system that would compensate teachers for their successes with students.
He described the program as “an opportunity to elevate our greatest educators and commend them for what they have been able to accomplish,” explaining that it would be neither a bonus program nor a pay cut for teachers.
Senate Bill 6 was not the fi rst attempt to connect student achievement and teacher compensation. Some districts have already added student achievement-based considerations into their teacher payment systems.
The Denver Public Schools district created its “ProComp” program in 2004, which gave teachers the chance to earn bonuses and raises based in part on student achievement. Teachers could also receive compensation for attending training programs or working in schools that struggle with poverty and other academic challenges, according to the Denver Public Schools Web site.
The District of Columbia Public Schools adopted a similar plan, agreeing in April to include student achievement in its compensation plan by offering bonuses based on positive student test scores, according to the school district’s Web site. The district developed its plan with the Washington Teachers’ Union, which allowed teachers to have a voice in the decision rather than watch the plan unfold without the chance to add their own input.
The Alachua County Public Schools Foundation works with students by offering scholarships and mentoring programs, as well as by providing grants to teachers for teaching aids and other learning enhancement tools. Executive Director Rick Mulligan says it is important to include teachers in compensation plans so they have a say in how they are paid for their services. Many teachers feel as though they cannot affect teacher compensation rules, but the importance of their jobs makes it important to ensure they feel fully engaged in the education process, from teaching their students to deciding how they will be paid.
“You want teachers to be in partnership with the system, with the taxpayers and with the community,” said Mulligan. “You want that sense of cooperation because they are the people on the ground every day in those classrooms, making a difference in the future of our kids’ lives. They have to feel included and, indeed, be included.”
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