Performance benchmarks for excellence in teaching

Now that Gov. Rick Scott has signed into law the merit pay system, school districts have to submit their evaluation methods before June 1. They must make sure teachers are paid according to how well their students perform.

May I suggest that as part of an evaluation method, individual, quantifiable goals are set for every school and indeed for every classroom at the start of the school year, and hold the teacher accountable at the end.

Classrooms with students of varied levels of intelligence and language skills, and economic and cultural backgrounds are difficult to measure on an equal basis.

Teachers have often pointed out that this diversity is what prevents them from accurately measuring how a teacher performs.

I submit that it’s the other way around. A diverse classroom should serve as a benchmark of excellence in teaching. 

When my children attended school, I could recall as good teachers those who made an extra effort with students who didn’t master the English language, the ones with learning handicaps or those children from households with problems.

We are usually too quick to stress that parents should be more involved with the school. Yes, no doubt parents are key to their children’s education, but nowadays, only the parents who can afford to do so are fully involved in their children’s education. Most parents have to juggle with a bundle of obstacles and limitations.

I’m not justifying irresponsible parents. Some are. But most are parents who would love to have the means to stay home 24/7, have a partner that shares responsibility or enough money coming at the end of the month to pay the bills.

I think it’s good to give teachers incentive to achieve or reward good performance. Forget about seniority and focus on specific goals for each classroom. You achieve your goals, you’ll be rewarded accordingly. You don’t, maybe teaching is not for you.