pay tied to FCAT scores
kate***Cross-posted at Out in Left Field***
As I’ve noted already, FCAT weighs too much. Now, Florida lawmakers want to give teachers with the highest gains - on a single test - a 5% bonus. This test measures a student’s ability at the time of the test - it doesn’t measure schools and teachers and everything under the sun as well!
• The bonus rewards “outstanding teachers” with a minimum bonus of 5 percent of their base salary and requires that a portion of all teachers’ pay be based on a set of “objective performance measures.” The bonus would be required for at least 10 percent of the teachers whose students make the highest FCAT score gains, but districts could give the bonus to more teachers. (How is the district going to explain who gets what if they go above these guidelines and give the bonus to more teachers?)
• Teachers making the state average salary of $41,578 would receive a $2,078 bonus if they qualified.
• For teachers who do not teach FCAT-tested subjects, districts must use “an assessment external to classroom measures.” The state has not defined what that external measure would be. (Yes, please explain how we compensate PE coaches and driver’s ed teachers - a special FCAT for them alone? Can’t wait to see what lawmakers come up with next.)
Here are other reasons why this idea won’t work to help all teachers - especially those in underserved areas with special needs students.
This is just another joke to distract from real ways to benefit educators. Let’s see who falls for it.
Tags: education, Florida, tampa
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February 14th, 2006 at 5:22 pm
Have any of these people read Freakonomics? Not that the book is infallible, but this certainly does increase the incentive for teachers to cheat. And administrators have no incentive to prevent them fro doing so, either.
February 14th, 2006 at 5:39 pm
I seem to recall my teachers not being the most competitve of people, they got into teaching for a different reason. I wonder how they would react to real competitive pay?
February 14th, 2006 at 5:56 pm
Never mind about “teaching to the test.” Now teachers have an incentive to give actual FCAT cheat sheets to students!
February 14th, 2006 at 11:27 pm
I was just getting ready to type “Have any of these people read Freakonomics” when… Smitty typed exactly that.
February 15th, 2006 at 6:25 am
Okay, that settles it. I have to get that book.
And check this out: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11298636/site/newsweek/