Comments 13

1. Mary Lou Nielsen 11/9/2009

   Unless all schools within a district are "restacked" so socioeconomically advantaged and disadvantaged, special education, and high/low IQ students are evenly distributed throughout schools in the districts, it is grossly unfair to use a student performance test to evaluate educators.  
   
   
   We do not have nearly enough time in the school day/year to cover all the materials and subjects required of us. We are rushing through so kids have exposure to the many things required for performance on the tests and have insufficient time to go deeper (which is what students really need to be effective thinkers and lifelong learners).

2. Eva 11/7/2009

   I really don't think, that longer school days will do the trick. The kids are already too long in school. Where is the time for being a child and play outside and hang out with neighbourkids?
   

3. Sean 10/24/2009

   Where is the parent accountability? If the standardized testing is so important why isn't there a reward given to parents whose children score well and a fine for those who don't? Teachers are not afraid of accountability. We all want to help our students reach their potential. Students are not a mass produced automobile. They are kids that bring a lot of variables to the learning day. These variables are well out of the control and scope of the classroom teachers. Sometimes a child just has too much baggage for us to fix. We continue to try, but educationally, there has been a shift in how and what we do. In 21 years of teaching I am disappointed  with  the changes made to our curriculum and report cards all in the name of standardized testing.  It isn't good teaching because the system is flawed. Local control is gone. Governor Doyle has caved in to political pressures. He's thinking about his legacy now, not what is best for school districts, students, and teachers across our great state! He has failed us.

4. Sue 10/24/2009

   When will it ever end? I know that teachers should hold the highest of standards in order to educate their children. However, things are totally different since the days of "Leave it to Beaver."
   Tying teacher pay to test scores will only add additional stress to an already overburdened profession.  Whatever happened to students in previous years, summer often places a damper on those that really struggled, and it is those students who may not   get the additional help they need. Test scores may not seem important to those students, as well as those on the higher end of the spectrum. Some may not care about test results..  With the myriad of tests given to an elementary student in particular just in one year, many things could influence scores.  Mental/Physical Abuse, alcoholism, death, job loss, bullying, weather,...the list 
   could go on. Anyone entering the teaching profession at this time needs to have a sincere desire to teach, otherwise they may be quickly running towards the door.

5. sk 10/24/2009

   Doyle has also said he wants to extend the school day as well as add more days to the school year.  Therefore, teachers are going to be putting in a lot more time so will their salaries be prorated accordingly??
   
   Also especially at the high school level kids are tracked into average, below average, and advanced ability level classes.    Teachers may teach a mix of these classes but generally they work predominantly with one ability group.  I work w/ high end kids so I would be at a big advantage over someone who works w/ low end kids.
   

6. Alli 10/24/2009

   If I am able to hand pick the children that will be in my classroom each year, I will be in favor of merit pay. I "get what I get and don't throw a fit!" I work my buns off to help each child  succeed to the best of their ability as well as my own.  It does not always come together for each child. Learning takes place when needs are met and children are ready.  Sometimes  it just doesn't come together in some areas. Each year I find more and more children in need of meeting basic needs before the academic needs are met.  The behavior needs are also greater and greater.  How can teachers be punished under the stress of these types of circumstances?
   

7. Mitch 10/24/2009

   I completely agree with Trish's comments.� How can the teacher be penalized for low test scores or credited for higher test scores just two months into the school year when the previous teacher had them for 9 months?�

   Additionally, with all the special needs children in our classrooms, are we expected to meet the same expecations as regular ed classrooms?� A third of my class are labeled as special ed this year.� What would that mean for me and others in similar situations?� Are those scores excluded?

    

   This is my 4th year teaching after leaving a business career, and I'm VERY overwhelmed with all of this.� It's a VERY tough job, and it just keeps getting tougher.

8. Randy 10/24/2009

   There are too many variables that affect a test score to tie it soley to teacher performance.  Jim should be able to figure that out.  What about teachers that teach subjects that aren't "tested" like phy. ed, art, etc.?  Obviously, teachers need to be held accountable, but not by test scores. 

9. Mike 10/23/2009

   It'll be interesting to see if pay for performance also applies to adminstrators and public officials (school boards). That'll make all the difference in the world as to whether I'll support the idea or not. I may join the ranks of thousand of other experienced teachers who are leaving the field of education.

   As things stand today, the $4.35 billion sounds like a bribe for accepting conditions of NCLB. For that reason alone, I believe Wisconsin should tell the Feds to keep thier money, and refrom NCLB.

    

10. Ann 10/23/2009

    Merit pay has never been a good option.  Now, more than ever, the students we serve are not Beaver Cleaver.  Their myriad of needs makes teaching quite a challenge, and with handicapping conditions such as Asperger's Syndrome and autism, almost impossible in some cases.
    
    I do not envy young teachers who are beginning their careers. Additional responsibilities are being added to the classroom teacher's plate and nothing is being removed.  Testing has become a major focus while teaching and learning has taken a backseat.
    
    It is no wonder we are seeing a teacher exodus from the classroom. 
    
    
    

11. Trish 10/23/2009

    Does this mean there will be more testing?? And which scores would he base it off of? You can't say that the 3rd grade teacher gets paid less because her students did poorly on the test that year when it was the 2nd grade teacher that is at "fault" because the test is so early in the school year. The 3rd grade teacher has only been teaching the students for about 2 months whereas the 2nd grade teacher had them for 9 months. And what if a teacher really messed up in 1st grade and all the students are struggling with reading? Does that mean that every teacher that gets these students will lose the salary they are at because the kids do poorly on the test because of one year?? Teachers should definitely be held accountable but not by testing.
    And who is going to want to go into the profession of teaching with that kind of pressure? We're going to lose would be teachers because of all the pressure that comes with the job. 

12. Edward 10/21/2009

      Is this a mandatory push?  The A"way" to get 'race to the top' grants?  It might be possible to get more education in with less school time -  more educationally-focused time. 
    Be nice to do less "[related] parenting" in school and more educational instruction.  
    DPI should study or release what the instructional hours schools (elementary, middle, high) are putting in right now.  Bet a cookie they don't have the information in their storage devices.

13. Rachel 10/20/2009

    It was interesting that Governor Doyle said that if extending the school day or year and tying teacher pay to test scores are the right things to do than we should do it.  I would like to see the research that says these are the "right" things to do.  I'm happy to hear the Mary Bell and other members of WEAC intend to evaluate Governor Doyle's proposals to make sure they are educationally sound.  I hope the WI DPI does the same.

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