Over the past couple of days I have shared some thoughts with you regarding Vince Santo, an elective course instructor, who may very well have half of his evaluation subject to the FL test scores (FCAT) of students who he doesn't even instruct.
The issue deals with merit pay and the fact that merit pay is being tied to the FCAT results. This is sadly an emerging trend.
Merit. Well, for some people a person's merit, or should I say worth, is being tied to test scores. This nonsense has to stop! A person's merit (worth) should not be tied to test results. Education is not piece rate work and it never has been. Teaching and learning is not some cut rate type of endeavor.
Piece rate work has its place in any economic system but it isn't appropriate for all types of occupations. Besides, dangling money in front of someone, in most careers, has proven to be a poor work incentive!
A teacher's merit should not be tied to or equated to merit pay. Merit ought to be more closely aligned to other teaching/teacher factors such as; the ability of the teacher to adapt, the instructor's knowledge base, developing a compatibility between teacher and learner, teaching style, knowledge of adolescence, work ethic, effort and more.
Any decent administrator will see the above elements as far more revealing of a teacher's merit than tying standardized scores to their evaluation. It is time to get away from test results being a panacea or the key to school reform.
Dick
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