Our gov. said today that a teacher's pay should be directly related to merit and not to tenure.

It's about time someone came out and said it. I agree. Just because you have a teaching credential doesn't mean you're any good. Good teachers are hard to come by.

As a future teacher, I would think that using both criteria would be best. There are many bad teachers. I think the good ones out way the bad.

Sadily, teaching has taken a kick in the balls, but that is they way your current society is right now. I said it before, and i say it agian - Teaching is an upright and moral profession, a beacon of human worth in a jadded, bottom line, money grubbing world.

as a matter for discussion - I wonder what kind of ways they plan on mesuring a teachers merit?

My dad actually works for the state teachers' union.

The biggest complaint I've heard about the union, which I deem a credible complaint, is that it protects bad to mediocre teachers and doesn't reward the outstanding ones, but then, I'm not sure that's it's job.

Let me try to spin this for another angle on it. Do you think the pain in the ass old football coach that's been in the school system for years deserves the same amount of pay as the fresh out of college new teacher that is working his/her tail off?

Just a thought.

It depends on what the football teacher does. If he is P.E teacher that has brought several championships to the school then yes, I do.

As someone that has had experience with both good and bad teachers, I think they should get paid with both factors in mind. I think teachers should be treated like firefighters and police officers. A manditory profession and they shouldn't be legaly allowed to go on strike. They should also be payed and treated better.

Blake, what do you plan to teach? A subject teacher in highschool or a grade school teacher?

Let me try to spin this for another angle on it. Do you think the pain in the ass old football coach that's been in the school system for years deserves the same amount of pay as the fresh out of college new teacher that is working his/her tail off?

Just a thought.


but that's any job really. You're always going to have people who have been with a company for a while that don't care anymore and know how do to just enough to get by. The first rule of unions is seniority. Once you have it, it's almost impossible to be fired. You're also first in line for job bids and you get the better raises. It's not just in teaching but in every union job. I've talked to guys who work at G.M and say that some of the "old timers" will literally walk around all day and talk to people without doing any work. Most are assigned helpers who do all their work for them. When the company gets tired of it they offer them early retirement. They still get their benefits and a nice retirement package and they're at the golf course at age 50.

this probably has no relevence, but the best teacher i ever had was my english and public speaking teacher in college, Dr. Rinaldi. Former CIA, MBA in this, Bachelors in that, credentials up this poopchute. no one has ever taught as well as this man in my life. I never understood the difference of a teacher and a good teacher until i met this man.