Don't Give Raises for Poor Performance

This was in response to Catalina’s editorial regarding teacher pay raises.

I’m not wholly convinced that the current crop of teachers in the state of Texas deserve one. Texas educators have provided less for our children when compared nationally. We fall behind the national average in the most basic testing of fundamental skills. I don’t see that giving an across-the-board raise to part-time poor performing employees is needed.

If I went into college with an expectation that I’d eventually get a part-time job at the State, why wouldn’t I expect to get paid less than any professional in the private sector? Teachers have a shorter work day than other professions with the average being fewer than 38 hours a day. I understand the argument that they also take their work home with them, but many other professions mimic this. They also get the perk of having an entire season off, which many professions envy. All of these items equate to a part-time position. Why then would I pay a full-time rate?

Attending recertification exams and additional training is not mutually exclusive to teachers. Many professions also have to attend to classes in certification. Computer specialists frequently have to keep up with new technologies or programs by attending training classes or completed certifications. Nurses, medical technicians, and coders have to submit to tests every year to prove that they are still capable of doing their jobs. I just don’t see why teachers being subjected to training suddenly make them more deserving than everyone else.

I do agree with you on the importance of the profession. I can’t argue that they are instrumental in shaping a child’s emotional and mental state during development. Unfortunately, I can only name one out of the many teachers my son has had that I would say was the “ideal” teacher. Most were new teachers just waiting to hear back from a better neighboring school district or alternatively burnt out from dealing with troubled kids. I believed my case was an anomaly, however the more I talked with parents it became the norm.

The educational system in Texas is poor. My personal views have been colored by bad experiences with the primary education system. Increasing funding would go a long ways in attracting a talented work force that would actually care about our kid’s education. However I believe the current pool does not deserve a raise. Examples of low standard test scores in math and science and an extremely high dropout rate reinforce the fact that the state has a serious issue in their educators. Like any other job, if someone’s performing poorly there would be no reason to reward that person.