Published: September 18, 2007 06:11 pm         

Educators: Bring teachers to table on merit pay issue

OKLAHOMA CITY — Gregg Garn remembers the influence of his high school track coach who mentored him in life, not just academics.

But the University of Oklahoma professor wonders how that coach should be rewarded for the influence on students outside of the classroom atmosphere.

“There are some difficult things to quantify,” said Garn, associate dean and professor in educational leadership and policy studies with the University of Oklahoma’s College of Education.

Garn, along with several higher education, career tech and national officials, spoke about the issue of merit pay for Oklahoma’s common education teachers on Tuesday at the third of five interim study meetings on the issue.

Rewarding teachers based on advanced academic degrees in the subject taught; expanding and rewarding mentoring programs; rewarding teachers in high-needs schools; and rewarding the immeasurables — such as what the track coach provided — are areas Garn said his research points him to in preparing a merit plan.

Melissa Rasberry, policy associate with the Center for Teacher Quality based in North Carolina, has worked on the issue of merit pay with top teachers nationwide and has learned what not to do.

She advised House members to not put a cap on teacher rewards and to not limit the rewards only to tested subject areas because such actions can create animosity in the schools. Providing additional pay for professional development in areas relevant to the job and not basing rewards solely on test scores are two other areas to focus on, she said. She also does not want a one-size-fits-all performance pay system and believes teacher input is a must if changes are discussed.

“These really are discussions that have to happen at the local level,” Rasberry said.

Anthony Cody agrees.

He is an Oakland, Calif., teacher who worked on the Center for Teacher Quality’s “Teacher Solutions” report. The report came up with four pillars to deal with extra compensation for teachers, including helping students learn more, developing new knowledge and skills, meeting teacher vacancies based on the local market and providing leadership to add to student success.

“It’s not intended to be a prescription,” Cody said. “It’s designed to be a guideline.”

He said in order to make performance pay work, teachers must be involved in planning.

“If you alienate them in what they do … then you’re squandering the very thing you’re trying to achieve,” Cody said.

Kyle Dahlem, director of teacher education and the Minority Teacher Recruitment Center with the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, is doubtful a merit pay system will stick.

Dahlem said she used to teach in Seiling in the late 70s and into the 80s when there was a merit pay system in place. She said the plan went well until it ran out of money. She said merit pay has been tried throughout the country over the last 60 or 70 years and she has yet to see a plan that stuck around.

“It is not an inexpensive project,” she said, noting that it must be fiscally sustainable or it won’t be around in 10 years.

A few career techs have tried their hands at performance pay and like the results.

Marty Lewis, superintendent of the Gordon Cooper Technology Center in Shawnee, said instructors and support staff can qualify for some sort of incentive pay because he believes every employee contributes to the outcome of student achievement.

Like Rasberry and Cody, he also believes those who the pay will impact should be part of the planning.

House members will meet Sept. 25 to discuss the merit pay issue with the business community.



Jaclyn Houghton is CNHI News Service Oklahoma reporter.