Waving a Piece of Paper
Posted by Debra Baker on July 16, 2008
I am tired of hoops. Of the game. Of the rules that, too often, seem arbitrary. The traditions that rarely, if ever, get questioned.
Why should teachers have to shell out cash for some master’s degree somewhere in order to get a fatter paycheck? Who among us believes that there is some correlation between that piece of paper and the quality of the teaching that occurs in the classroom? Anyone? Anyone? For those who need research to support anecdotal observations that there is, in fact, typically no correlation whatsoever, here is an excerpt from a study on the topic: http://tinyurl.com/62dszf
So, let me find the cheapest master’s degree around because, after all, I’m a beginning teacher with student loans and I don’t have a magical slush fund stashed away underneath my bed, and so let me just get that blessed piece of paper in my hand, so I can do the crazy Move-Me-On-Over-Toward-the- Right-Side-of -That-Scale-And-Let-Me-Pay-Off -Part-of-My-Credit-Card-Debt dance.
Hoops.
I’m certainly not opposed to furthering our own education. Of course not. Wouldn’t that be ironic? But for how much longer are we going to pretend that that person waving the master’s degree is now more valuable to his school district than he was before? That he is now more able to engage students, to motivate students, to improve students’ test scores? Or, conversely, that the person without the master’s degree is, somehow, less valuable? Assessing the value of a teacher is tricky and, of course, deeply controversial, but I suggest that it is time to rethink the long-standing tradition and to have honest conversations about what teacher quality actually means, how we assess it, and how, in turn, we show that we value it.
Speaking of value, the math teacher on my team, a soon-to-be third year teacher, spent this mid-July morning at school, training veteran teachers on the use of technology tools. He will spend Thursday afternoon with his teammates planning interdisciplinary units. He set up Moodle in our building and then trained us on its use. He devotes every lunch period to tutoring students who are struggling. He reads education blogs at night. I could go on and on (but he may already be mad that I’m publicly boasting about him at all). The point is that anything that Dave needs to learn in order to continue to grow and to become a master teacher, he will learn, regardless of a master’s degree. He is that kind of a human being, that kind of a teacher–bright, passionate, and incredibly hard working. A gem for his students; a gem for his colleagues. And yet, until he figures out where and when to pursue that degree, he will remain the biggest bargain ever to walk through the door. That strikes me as insulting.
Why do we still rely on such a simple formula to determine teachers’ monetary value? Because it’s easy? Because it’s neat? Because nobody’s feelings will get hurt? Because determining any other means is truly impossible? I wonder…
What do you think?
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BTW, I’ve been trying to work out kinks in the RSS feed for this blog; if you have tried to subscribe and it has not been updating the posts, bear with me. I will, hopefully, have it up and running soon.
July 17th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Great topic. The expense of being a teacher and keeping a teaching job (especially for newer teachers) is something that the general public and some school boards often do not consider when making pay scale decisions. The cost of taking master’s level courses and paying recertification fees can represent a significant chunk of a newer teacher’s salary. There are few other jobs on the same pay scale that require workers to spend that much money just to keep their jobs.
Being a life-long learner has a ton of value in teaching. In fact, I believe that allowing teachers to pursue what they’re passionate about learning is far more beneficial than forcing them to take master’s level education courses. As you pointed out in your example with “Dave” a teacher with enthusiasm and expertise is beneficial for teachers and students.
I don’t have a good solution or alternative to the traditional pay scale systems of time served equals greater pay. The commonly suggested alternative of making pay scale decisions based on administrative observations is a dangerous path for teachers’ unions to take. Pay decisions based on administrative observations encourages teachers to “fall in line” and go along with every administrative edict. Real change in education doesn’t come from administrative decisions but from classroom teachers. Teachers who are afraid to try something new because they fear it could hurt their future salary will not be effective agents of change in education.
July 21st, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Deb,
I have often thought about the very conundrum you describe in Waving a Piece of Paper. A masters degree does NOT make one a better teacher, but continuing to learn and grow and stay in touch with the “latest” pedagogy can help a teacher improve on many levels. (Most “quickie” Masters programs,however, improve little but the pocket book and only after loans are paid off.) So I understand the States requirement of having teachers continue their education in order to retain certification–(to keep those teachers that graduated, secured a teaching position and never attended another workshop/conference/class EVER, from continuing )but it shouldn’t be the only means of evaluating a teachers’ effectiveness or value. But as Mr. Byrne pointed out, who would determine how valuable a teacher is to a district? The fast answer seems to be the administration or the school board. I definitely have the same reservations as Mr. Byrne in that regard!
Perhaps the State could be encouraged to pursue something akin to what the Clayton School District does for professional development and offer PDU’s. Instead of only accepting University Credit towards a formal Masters Degree, perhaps teachers, like Dave, could forward documentation of training or any valuable contribution to education as a whole or to the school/district for evaluation by the State for the purpose of step advancement.
I can envision the possibilities for quality teachers to improve their financial situations as well as gain some deserved recognition for their contributions to education and children. While we all know that we do not teach to achieve fame and fortune,there is nothing wrong with wanting a competitive professional salary and recognition quality or admirable work.
Speaking of recognition for a job well done, kudos to you Deb, for reaching one of your running goals!
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:56 am
Debra,
Thank you for your kind words. Much of my learning takes place during my day to day interactions with quality teachers and lifelong learners like yourself. I have never met a person who is as devoted and effective at making positive impacts on the students and teachers as you Deb.
This is a very interesting topic for discussion and I am glad that you took the time to write this post. As I am beginning to fill out the application paper work for my masters degree, I am wishfully dreaming that my masters experience will be worth the money and more importantly the time. After reading this post, the little wheel in my head is spinning out of control trying to come up with a possible alternative to traditional masters degrees that would be more effective for some teachers and therefor more students.
When I get something together, I will post an update here.
And by the way, your RSS problem was fixed at 9:33 pm on Monday the 21st. I know this because that is when your last three posts can through my Google Reader.
Thank you again for the thoughtful post and kind words.