Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/297225
Perspectives Doug Johnson The grant ends in 2015, and many teachers are anxious for it to be over, says Kandel. The administration, however, would like to continue some of the evaluation practices that were a part of the grant and pay extra for teacher coaches districtwide, even though under TAP scores dropped and teachers haven't gotten a pay raise in years. Negotiations are ongoing. "I guess you can say this grant has opened the door to a lot of things," says Kandel. Rural Humboldt Union High School Dis- trict, which has only 1,400 students and two high schools, received a $4.5 million TIF grant for a new evaluation system and merit pay. Scores went from 770 in 2012 to 779 in 2013. The district took a different approach. To determine how much a teacher contributes to a student's academic success, local assess- ments are compared at the beginning and end of the school year. The compensation formu- lation is also based upon peer observations and STAR scores. Doug Johnson, president of the North Humboldt High School Teachers Association, says teachers agreed to the deal to save jobs when layoffs were looming, but some have "soured" on the grant in the meantime. "It saved jobs and provided teachers with the possibility of a pay increase at a time when we saw little possibility of getting a raise from the state. That made it a little more digestible." Johnson says the system may have some benefi t, since district scores went up 9 points, but he personally does not believe in paying teachers based on their test scores, and he thinks most of his colleagues feel the same way. "We all know there are things that happen on any given day with students that teachers can't control. Also, you can have one stellar class this year, and a different population the next year. To expect student performance to dictate teacher salaries is not pru- dent policy." Note: CTA believes merit pay is flawed in concept. Where it has been tried, it has proved to be a detriment rather than a stimulus to better education. CTA is open to consideration of alternative pay plans as determined by the local associations through the collective bargaining process. To read CTA's policies, log in at cta.org and go to cta.org/orghandbook. www.cta.org 21 A P R I L 2 0 1 4 Credentials and Certificates § Multiple and Single Subject § Administrative Services § CTEL § Education Counseling/PPS § School Psychology/PPS § Special Education: Mild/Moderate § Reading and Language Arts § Child Life Specialist § New Learning Technology Bachelors § Liberal Studies § Child Development Doctoral § Organizational Leadership (Ed.D.) (La Verne Campus) Masters § Educational Leadership § School Counseling § School Psychology § Special Education § Reading § Special Emphasis § Child Life § Child Development (also online) WASC accredited, CCTC and NCATE approved. Programs offered at campuses throughout California. Contact for more information: College of Education and Organizational Leadership 1950 Third Street La Verne, CA 91750 laverne.edu 877-GO-TO-ULV infosession@laverne.edu www.cta.org 21 A P R I L 2 0 1 4 "La Verne provided the tools to make me an effective educator." Natasha Burrell M.Ed. Special Emphasis/Credential 2010 M.S. Educational Counseling/ PPS Credential 2014 6th Grade Math and ELA Teacher 14025596 Educator 04 Apr 2014 v2.5 int.indd 21 4/15/14 2:21 PM