Posted on 03/11/2009 5:15:13 AM PDT by Born Conservative
In spelling out a vision for education reform in America, President Obama announced on Tuesday that he embraces merit pay for teachers (see related story).
The head of Philadelphia's teachers' union says he backs Obama's proposal but wonders what the effects will be once the plan is fleshed out.
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers president Jerry Jordan (right) says Obama's endorsement of merit pay for improved student perfomance doesn't go against what his union has been fighting for:
"He talked about competitive salaries for teachers with innovative ways to reward teachers and experiences. We have been advocating those things at the PFT for a number of years."
Jordan points out that a small percentage of city teachers already earn bonuses of $3,500 each by becoming National Board certified:
"Rewarding teachers for extra skills that they bring to the job, we've been very supportive of it."
(Excerpt) Read more at kyw1060.com ...
If teacher pay were based on performance and merit; they wouldn’t be paid minimum wage.
The Unions approve? Sounds like “merit” will have an entirely different meaning once BO’s through with it.
Wake me up when he supports vouchers.
Until then, I know he isn’t serious about improving education for young people.
Do you mean they would then be paid BELOW minimum wage?
I'm wasting my time. Dems don't give a damn about the US. All they care about is power and control. It's like the political incarnation of a personality disorder.
It’s very fishy that both Obama AND the head of the Philly teacher’s union are supporting this....
Ping
Teachers that conform to the liberal dogma will be rewarded. those that stray will not merit their pay.
Socialism on display. We have passed the event horizon and are falling into a black hole of socialism.
The saddest part of it is that the people who think they benefit from socialism dont realize that once government gains full control of the economy and infrastructure, things will change and they will have no where to turn to. I am talking about people on the govt dole, the unions who will be dissapated because they are a threat to a socialist govt and once socialist get power, its like a cancer, its hard to remove.
I am done soapboxing. Time to go to work. Have a great day everyone.
They would have to be paid minimum wage...that’s the law. :-)
Obama Tells Teachers Union He Opposes Vouchers (2008)
http://www.nysun.com/new-york/obama-tells-teachers-union-he-opposes-vouchers/81801/
"When our educators succeed, I won't just talk about how great they are; I will reward them for it," Mr. Obama said. He listed several cases in which districts could give teachers a salary increase, including if they serve as mentors; if they learn new skills, and if they "consistently excel in the classroom."
Ping
Wake me up when he is ready to do away with tenure. Remember how difficult it was to get rid of Ward Churchill? Tenure allows college level teachers to do anything they want and not have accountability. And another thing......Durbin’s Bill in the Senate is a back door approach to the ‘Fairness Doctrine’. If it is implemented I would like to see ‘Fairness’ applied to everything. Including a 50% mandate for Conservative Professors to teach all our young skulls full of mush.
Here in Pennsylvania, there is a major dis-incentive for teachers to excell and for administrators to address various issues of incompetence, teacher misconduct, etc: it’s called tenure. Short of a teacher committing murder or having an affair with a student, it’s almost impossible for a tenured teacher to lose his or her job.
Merit pay would be bad for teachers who don’t care, and great for those who excell in their job. As it stands now, a teacher who puts in their time and does the minimum required gets the same raise and pay as a teacher who excels.
By doing away with tenure, that would go a long way towards fixing the problem of failing schools and low quality education.
If Obama’s lips are moving he is lying. He sees his approval numbers falling so he comes out and throws a couple bones to the conservatives by saying he is in favor of merit pay and charter schools. He knows the congress and senate will never go along with that. Besides, they are state issues, not federal. Of course some union leaders would be receptive to it, they know it won’t happen.
I think obama practices “taqiyya” that is ingrained in him since childhood. He is deflecting by stating that he supports “merit” pay. He is trying to present himself as being more moderate because America is catching on to who is really is. So he throws this idea out there, knowing the press will be all over it. This merit pay plan will not be followed through.
from islam-watch.org
The word “Taqiyya” literally means: “Concealing, precaution, guarding.” It is employed in disguising one’s beliefs, intentions, convictions, ideas, feelings, opinions or strategies. In practical terms it is manifested as dissimulation, lying, deceiving, vexing and confounding with the intention of deflecting attention, foiling or pre-emptive blocking. It is currently employed in fending off and neutralising any criticism of Islam or Muslims.
Not sure where you live, but teachers in my neck of the woods hardly make "minimum wage." (Bucks County, Pennsylvania)
The starting salary of a public school teacher right out of college is about $43,000 (plus generous benefits) ...
Within two years, they make about $55,000 a year plus ADDITIONAL benefits.... such as 100% paid top line Blue Cross, plus a district-state matched pension.
And within seven (7) years they 'max' out, so to speak, at between $85,000 and $100,000 depending on which school districk they work at.
If they coach a sport, or do any extra-cirricular activity they receive an additional $5,000-$7,000 each year.
Add in the fully paid sabaticals and the fact they only work 9 months a year (actually only 185 working days)... they hardly make minimum wage.
Merit pay only makes sense if the 'non meritorous' teachers make less.
If you just pay more to perceived better teachers, all you do is pay more.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.