With $20 million set aside for school districts who design pay systems for teachers based on merit, districts have rushed to create different merit-based pilot programs. Some teachers worry that this plan ignores the class-size issue, others however think this innovation’s worth a shot. City Weekly asked Marcie Collett of the Salt Lake City Film Center if she thought the pilot was worthwhile.
It’s time to try anything new. I know we need to reduce class size, but we also need to reward teachers and schools based on something other than assessment scores. In the current—and, hopefully soon, post-—No-Child-Left-Behind world, I’m for anything that rewards schools, parents, teachers and students in any other way than assessment.
