Diane Albanese’s Musings

I went to Dover this past weekend and learned so much about teachers’s status and issues regarding our profession. This is a report that I prepared for my staff. There were other important issues including Charter Schools. Please go to the DSEA website for more information.  

DSEA Leadership Weekend Report“A Child is MORE than a Test Score – So is a Teacher”  

NEW! DSEA website coming this week at  http://www.dsea.org/ 

ESEA or NCLB – reauthorization. Your help urgently needed now (before Oct 26)

• This law will affect our work and lives for the next 6 years
• Our congressmen need to hear our views
• We want what is right for public schools
• SEND MESSAGES to our congressional delegation at www.nes.org/lac

• Focus on these issues: oppose any inclusion of pay-for-test score programs that mandate teacher pay based on student performance or test scores.
• Ensure that a single state-wide standardized assessment in reading and math are not the primary measures of student learning.
• See your handout for other ideas.

Alternative Compensation – “paying people more for performance increases their creativity and productivity: people are primarily motivated by money.” Myth Types

• Knowledge and skill bases (competency pay)
• Market based (pay more because of demand)- NEA does not support this – it devalues some fields
• Group based pay (all teachers receive pay)
• Career ladder (phases, beg, mid, master so that teacher do not have to leave the classroom to receive pay increases)
• Extra duty pay (coaching, clubs)

Offer enough base pay to attract talented and dedicated people. Education professionals do not control student learning capabilities and the environment outside of school. Merit pay systems force teachers to compete rather than cooperate. PFP- not effective 

Who is supporting PFP?

1. Teacher Incentive Fund – grants to districts
2. The Bush Administration – their goal is to eliminate the federal government’s single salary schedule and collective bargaining rights and weaken due process
3. Governors and Legislators
4. Milken – Teacher Advancement Program
5. Gates
6. Broad – Vision 2015

Possible vote on ESEA as early as Oct 15 contact congress now!www.nea.org/eseawww.nes/org/lac

NEA ·         Opposes a pay system that mandates teacher pay based in whole or part on test scores·         In collective bargaining states – must be agreed to though CB. 

DSEA Resolution Criteria for PFP

1. All are eligible

2. Not linked to student performance or attendance

3. collective

4.clearly stated criteria

5. sustainable

6. does not diminish professional status 

We have a state compensation task force which worked on para (ESP) salaries this year in addition to increasing the base pay to 40K with a 10 year salary scale (less steps to get to the top) 

Cape – There will be a drive on to encourage all CHEA/DSEA members to participate in the Children’s Fund. This is a state and national PAC (political action committee) fund that allows us to help get people elected who are friends of education. This is especially important in this year – we elect a new governor and this is a KEY position with regard to educational decisions and funding.  

~ by Diane Albanese on October 8, 2007.