The Difficulties of Teacher Merit Pay
Re “Governor Lays Out Agenda Certain to Draw Fire,” Jan. 6: The basic flaw in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed merit-based pay system is that there is no way to dole out equal assignments to each teacher.
The students who are at risk, have no native English language skills or have special needs are going to be more challenging, with their own special stresses and demands. Those teaching the best and brightest or “less educationally challenged” will undoubtedly show the greatest gains under any system.
Merit pay is a recipe for division and resentment among the staff. It is not a choice, as Schwarzenegger says, “between special interests and your children.”
Thoughtful observers have long realized that problems in education go far beyond the classroom. The governor should be supporting teachers, not setting them up as fall guys.
Murray Gilkeson
La Verne
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Only in the left-wing world of The Times can a 7% raise in spending be disparaged as “Education Budget on Hit List” (Jan. 6). How many of your readers got an equivalent salary adjustment this year and, moreover, complained about it?
Aside from the headline, the sub-headline says “cutting” and “angry educators blast ... reneging on ... agreement to protect school funding.” The first-page paragraphs are replete with criticism by the usual horrified liberals. It is not until paragraph 14 that the truth is revealed: Schwarzenegger is increasing the education budget from $42 billion to $44.2 billion, as opposed to $46.4 billion. The only thing that is decreasing is The Times’ respectability.
Don Rory
Los Angeles
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Let me tell you a secret: You can be a lousy teacher, but if you have a class of good students they will learn despite the lack of inspired teaching. Standardized test scores will show that.
You can be an outstanding teacher, but if you have a class of very poor students, you will be lucky if you can bump up the standardized test scores even a smidgen.
It takes a goodly amount of time to make inroads. So which teacher gets the merit pay?
Joan Martin
Woodland Hills
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I would like to know why our governor is suggesting a costly special election to deal with our budget issues rather than doing the hard work with the Legislature to enact the reforms and changes needed to solve the state’s fiscal problems. This is the job that Schwarzenegger and our representatives were elected to do.
Voters are getting tired of these initiatives designed to legislate so-called solutions. Taxpayers expect and deserve more from our government officials.
Harriet Nauman
Indio
