Ed Reform 101: Merit Pay, Seniority & Tenure

by: Jersey Jazzman

Thu Sep 01, 2011 at 09:15:00 AM EDT

As with so many other parts of the corporate "reform" agenda, adherence to merit pay and abolishing tenure is more a matter of faith than reality.

The truth is that there is no evidence that radically changing how we fire, layoff, and pay teachers will have any positive effect on student learning. There are, however, many reasons to believe that instituting merit pay and getting rid of tenure will harm students and the interests of taxpayers.

We also know that the difference between high-performing and low-performing schools is not whether they have merit pay schemes, or tenure, or lay offs based on seniority; why impose these changes on schools that are doing a great job educating kids?

What you should know about merit pay, seniority & tenure:

Myth: Earning more money will be a great motivator for teachers.
The Truth: Merit pay has never been shown to be particularly effective, and teachers don't want it.
- Decades of research shows that pay for performance is a weak motivator. (See the bonus video below for an entertaining take on this idea!)
- Teachers overwhelmingly agree that tying their pay to performances on state tests is a bad idea.

Myth: Teaching is the only profession where people aren't paid on merit.
The Truth: Merit pay as conceived by "reformers" is rare in the private sector.
- Only six percent of workers are awarded regular output-based payments (p.6)
- Most of those are concentrated in the finance, insurance, and real estate industries.

Myth: It's not fair to keep a "bad" senior teacher and lay off a "good" younger teacher.
The Truth: Experience matters, and it is unfair to fire a senior teacher just because she has earned higher pay.
- There is a large body of evidence that shows that experience matters in teaching.
- There is no evidence that layoffs based on test scores are less error prone than those based to seniority.
- Considering that 50% of new teachers leave in their first five years, retaining younger teachers in favor of senior teachers will inevitably increase teacher turnover.

Myth: Far fewer teachers are fired than other professionals.
The Truth: The rate of teacher firings compares favorably with the same rate for doctors and lawyers; moreover, the teacher attrition rate is far higher.
- A close look at statistics from around the nation suggests that teachers are removed for incompetence more often than doctors or lawyers.

Myth: A teacher with tenure can't be fired.
The Truth: Many teachers leave the profession before a tenure hearing when they receive bad evaluations.
- Hundreds of teachers are counseled out of teaching without a hearing when they receive their first tenure charges.
- Districts win tenure cases over teachers 3-to-1.

Myth: Tenure is unnecessary; there is little political pressure on teachers.
The Truth: Political pressure on teachers is well-documented and growing.
- In New Jersey, the Elizabeth school board's pressure on teachers to fill campaign coffers is a bleak cautionary tale about the politicization of schools.
- Reports of cronyism, nepotism, and corruption in school districts nationwide demonstrate the need for tenure.

Myth: Tenure leads to lazy teachers and poor student performance.
The Truth: Teacher effectiveness is not impeded by tenure.
- There is no relationship between tenure status and student performance. (Remember: tenure is NOT the same as seniority.)

For more information on merit pay, seniority & tenure, we recommend: