I see much taking place with teacher compensation and I don't much care for the trend I'm witnessing. Not only are school districts eliminating 'bumps' as one enters his/her final years of instruction, more troubling is the move underfoot to rid teacher contracts of 'step' and 'lane' advancement.
Here's why this later trend is of concern. Providing increases in pay for 'step' advancement (a raise for each year at the school) rewards those who stay at the school. This is a critical element to school success as stability is an essential component. For the most part schools need to prevent teacher turnover. Constant turnover leads to all sorts of problems.
Finally, 'lane' advancement (earning additional degrees or hours) is an absolute must in terms of teachers expanding their knowledge base and/or their understanding of how to work with students. Urging teachers to constantly broaden their horizons simply must continue.
If district choose to eliminate 'step' and 'lane' in their salaries they will one day see that they have made a huge mistake. At a time when the demand is high for additional teachers this is no time to get ride of something that has worked for the betterment of educating our nation's children.
Dick
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