Raise Teacher Compensation Along With Standards
The Legislature should elevate teachers' compensation along with higher
standards for teaching, Sen. Robert Jauch said during a legislative
hearing Wednesday (November 17, 1999) on proposed changes to teacher
licensing.
"Isn't it contradictory that on the one hand we are expecting
more of our teachers with these new rules, but we continue to hold down
their pay?" Jauch asked. "How can we continue to expect more
for less?"
 "I don't have a
problem with society creating higher standards for society's most
worthy profession, and that is teaching. My questions have to
do with a state that demands so much from its teachers but is
willing to give so little." - Sen. Robert Jauch - |
Jauch's comments came during his questioning of State Superintendent
John Benson. Jauch, a member of the Senate Education Committee, and
Benson both support the rules changes.
While agreeing that "teachers are not overpaid," Benson said
he would rather deal with issues of compensation separately from the
licensing rules.
"I don't have a problem with society creating higher standards
for society's most worthy profession, and that is teaching," Jauch
said. "My questions have to do with a state that demands so much
from its teachers but is willing to give so little."
Jauch questioned whether the state was being fair to education, educators
and children by putting a greater burden on teachers without assuming
responsibility to do more to make sure teachers succeed.
"Much is expected, but little support is given," Jauch said.
Revenue controls create problems
Jauch asked Benson to explain how the new rules will affect the severe
shortage of substitute teachers.
"Libraries are often closed to children because the librarian
is pressed into service as a substitute teacher," Jauch said. "That's
a problem resulting, in part, from a shortage of teachers, but it's
also the result of revenue controls imposed on school districts."
The revenue controls prevent districts from hiring library assistants
who would be able to work in the library and keep it open if the librarian
is substituting, Jauch said.
"How can districts that already have this fiscal noose around
their necks - who are deferring maintenance and book purchases - solve
these problems?" Jauch asked.
"The short answer is we can't do any more under the current policies,"
Benson said. "We have to change the policies."
State students may fall out of first place
 "Revenue limits
are fine in some form, but in the form they are in, children in
Wisconsin will likely fall out of first place in terms of testing." - John Benson - |
"Districts have to be given more flexibility," Benson said.
"Revenue limits are fine in some form, but in the form they are
in, children in Wisconsin will likely fall out of first place in terms
of testing.
"We are the best in America," Benson said. "That speaks
to how we've done our business in preparing teachers, but it won't last
under the current policies."
Jauch said he would vote for the new rules when the committee takes
them up later this year. But, he said, there needs to be a commitment
to improving teacher compensation as performance requirements are strengthened.
"I'm not asking for a debate on revenue controls," Jauch
said. "But, we cannot have a discussion about increasing the standards
and expectations of teachers without having an honest discussion of
the consequences of the fiscal policy this state has that ties the hands
of school districts and prevents them from helping teachers do their
job."
Rules don't apply to voucher schools
The new rules do not apply to teachers in private voucher schools,
although those schools are funded by taxpayer dollars. Benson said he
would welcome a discussion on standards for teachers in voucher schools,
but, again, he did not want to jeopardize the proposed rule changes
by bringing in the debate on another issue.
"I would prefer to have that discussion separately," Benson
said. "But I'm always more than willing to engage in that conversation
and have this Legislature consider what it ought to do to guarantee
the wise use of taxpayers' money and hold those private schools being
funded with taxpayer money accountable just like we do the public schools."
Rules mark major shift
Benson noted that the proposed rules are the result of a task force
he appointed four years ago.
"At one time all you had to do to teach 8th grade was to graduate
from 8th grade," Benson said. "That's what we had when Wisconsin
became a state."
It was not until 1971 that teachers were required to have bachelor's
degrees. Life licenses were granted for a period of time; however, the
system now is a course- and credit-driven one requiring teachers to
take six credits every five years. The proposed rules replace that system
with one that sets up 10 standards and requires teachers to prepare
professional improvement plans to qualify for license renewal.
Licenses for non-teachers
One of the most controversial aspects of the new rules is that they
allow granting licenses to applicants with bachelor's degrees but no
education credits.
Peter Burke, the director of teacher education and licensing at DPI,
said qualified applicants who have not had formal education credits
could "test into" the system and receive a license after going
through the same review process as traditional teachers.
"What that means is that there may be other ways to prepare quality
teachers," Benson said. "They will be held to the same standards,
to the same high measure and there would be a rigorous examination."
Despite controversy over alternative licensing, Benson said the proposed
rules will benefit teachers and students.
"This (new) system is based on performance," he said. "There
are 10 standards that will clearly help us and improve how we prepare
and renew the licenses of our teachers."
Administrators support rules
"Don Mrdjenovich, executive director of the Wisconsin Association
of School Business Officials, said administrators are supporting the
rule changes.
"The administrative organizations have supported the proposed
rules with the understanding that the implementation task force recognize
differences for administrators," said Mrdjenovich, a former superintendent
in Janesville.
"The state superintendent has given us his assurance that he would
listen to our concerns and suggestions," Mrdjenovich said. "We
look forward to working with DPI to make those differences workable
within the new rules."
The rules change also offers an opportunity to improve standards for
administrators, Mrdjenovich said.
"We like the concept of taking standards for administrators and
applying them to a licensing system," he said. "It will be
an improvement over clock hours and seat time."
School boards now also favor rules
Although it opposed the initial drafts of the proposed rule changes,
the Wisconsin Association of School Boards now favors them.
"Among the concerns was that the new rules did not focus on student
achievement, did not recognize school districts as stakeholders in the
training and certification process, did not offer alternative training
routes, did not offer flexibility to school districts, and created conflicts
with collective bargaining agreements," said Annette Talis, the
legislative services coordinator for the school boards organization.
Meetings between school board representatives and DPI staff beginning
in September helped eliminate most concerns, Talis said.
"Over the course of several weeks of dialogue about the public
policy direction of the rules and discussion of more than 150 specific
areas of the rules draft that were in conflict with the policies of
the school boards association, modifications were made to the rules
draft in the interests of improving public education," Talis said.
Posted November 19, 1999