Question of the Week Archives

Question:

Replies:

Ange T Kenos - Melbourne Australia, Victoria
In Australia it matters not how many degrees, diplomas, certificates... you have. The pay is the same. Yet, if a person undertakes any course, whether short or higher degree that directly impacts on how they perform their duties, how they teach, how they guide... then they should receive some higher recognition. Sadly, however, a little over a decade ago a conservative government (Republican like)determined that the state would no longer directly fund education... and instead gave a global budget to principals to control. This has meant that most teachers over 50 get no work regardless of how competent, how capable, how experienced and how successful they are as teachers. So one could argue, why bother getting higher quals when you will be kicked out when you are older, even though age discrimination IS illegal in Australia.

FL
I believe that it is definitely a credible use of funds. For a teacher to seek out additional training and expertise that is timely and up-to-date suggests that the professional approaches the job with dedication and commitment to improve his/her performance in the classroom. Those who benefit from the graduate training that a teacher pursues are the students, parents and colleagues of this teacher.

This is a very sensitive subject for myself and I would expect others as well. I see education funds being cut right and left, school districts having to make due with less. Teachers are being forced out of their chosen profession, as their contracts are not being renewed due to budget cuts. Who really suffers, as the best and the brightest are forced to seek employment in other career areas? The students suffer, and we wonder why our students are not learning.

To emphasize my position on this matter, I strongly believe that any teacher who seeks out a graduate degree in order to build skills and competencies deserves the RESPECT to be compensated accordingly.

I would like to question the validity of this report. What would you have the public funds used for? It is known throughout all areas of business that an organization is only as good as its employees. If you do not compensate those teachers who have the commitment and drive to improve themselves, then you will be settling. Our young people deserve better!

Christine Ferreri - Norwood, NJ
In response to this week's Question and after having read the July, 2009 report suggesting that increasing teacher pay for achieving a Masters degree is a poor use of schools' limited funds, I am moved to express my outrage with the concept! I believe that the people behind this article don't seem to grasp the fact that TEACHERS ARE PROFESSIONALS!

It only stands to reason that the better educated a teacher becomes, the better prepared and adept at his or her job that teacher will be! The whole idea behind educating our children is hiring the best people for the job! There are standards for teachers as well as substitute teachers. What will be the next suggestion, hire teachers straight out of High School in order to avoid the cost of teacher's with undergraduate College degrees? Why shouldn't a district consider a teacher, who is motivated (or required) to attain a masters (or multiple master degrees) to be highly qualified in the profession and therefore deserving of an increase in salary for that achievement? After all, wouldn't you want a surgeon who is highly degreed in heart surgery to be your surgeon if you needed heart surgery? It is understandable that certain districts may not be able to afford the highest increase for their teachers as another district may, but that doesn't negate the need to award the teacher with additional credentials some sort of an increase.

Furthermore, the article suggested that there was no direct correlation between student performance and the teachers with master degrees. I can't help but question how can you possibly measure the connection of the two subjectively? I would take this moment to point out that some teachers who have undergraduate College degrees may not be as successful in teaching as a teacher holding a Masters degree and vice versa. We all know our colleagues and who deserves to be in our hall and who doesn't (no matter what their basic or exalted degrees are!)

The article in question for this week leads me to believe that it just comes down to the fact that in times of financial difficulties in a school district it seems inevitable that cutting teacher awards is considered to be one of the best ways to save money, notwithstanding the effect it will have on our national treasure and future, our children!

Terri Mesing - Bremerton, WA
In my school district, we receive $500.00 each year for having a Master's degree. I have thought, often, how this stipend affects our district resources. After taxes, I receive about three hundred dollars for my Master's. I wanted a Master's to be better prepared to teach my students, not for the money. I believe even if our district did not award the small stipend teachers would still get a Master's degree becasue it is about helping our students to achieve and to prepare us to be the best for our students. I look at the five hundred dollars as my classroom start up allowance. That money helps me to buy supplies my students need in my clasroom to support their achievement.

NY
The time will come when the importance of education will become the pre-eminent discussion in this country. The solutions presented in the last thirty years have resulted in further slippage of standards, due to their haphazard and testing based techniques. The rise of the charter school movement, especially those of for-profit corporations, have shown no appreciable increase in student outcomes in most cases; even in those instances, the results have only come when the best and the brightest have been siphoned from district schools. Why would this particular position paper advocate a different pay scaling, ignoring the sacrifice teachers face as they struggle to improve their skills and knowledge? Why indeed, as they are a leading proponent of the charter school system. School funding is a major problem; under-paying already underpaid teachers is not the answer. By the way, many of those graduate class requirements are state-mandated.

pat - wayne, nj
I am currently reading a book before heading back to school called, "Teachers Have It Easy: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America's Teachers" by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., in which he writes about the problem of how teachers are probably the lowest paid individuals for the type of work they do. I know every year when peoples' taxes go up the salaries of the teachers are to blame, but no one ever questions the salaries of the administrators, superintendents, supervisors. We are encouraged to keep our teaching "fresh" and "current", two catch phrases we always hear at our in-services, yet how are we expected to do that when we currently have to pay for any workshops we attend out-of-pocket and for supplies for our classrooms that our school budget just does not cover? If we don't obtain advanced degrees, then the District thinks we are not serious in keeping our jobs as teachers. No wonder the U.S. lags behind in education with an attitude such as this!

Bob Smith - Centreville, VA
Yes. I know I got much better in the classroom after I got my Master's Degree. My study increased my subject knowledge as well as giving me a better understanding of teaching and learning. Of course, this depends on the Master's program. Mine was great!

Lynn Wohler - Aurora, CO
If a school district is going to invest funds for the purpose of education teachers, then those classes should be in psychology, stress management, time management, human relations, diversity, etc.

wi
I've seen more teachers get master's degrees through "accelerated programs" that aren't as knowledge driven, research driven or even specific to helping students better achieve compared to teachers completing a masters at a researched based institution. I am really beginning to think that merit pay has a lot of merit. I know a lot of teachers who have said specifically that they are excited about the extra money and indicate that was the motivation for earning a masters, 99% of these teachers go through an accelerated program. I know only one teacher who has really used her master's in the classroom.

TN
No, I don't think this is a good use of funds, especially in the light of our economy. My own master's work did little to make me a better teacher; it was just a series of jumping through hoops to get a piece of paper.