The Highest Paid Anybody is A Teacher?

I have said for some time that teaching will reach professional status when the 'highest paid anybody in a school district is a teacher.' Well, thanks to Zeke Vanderhoek and The Equity Project Charter School, we are getting closer. While Equity Project Charter teachers will not make more than Chancellor Klein, they will be paid more than the principal through Mr. Vanderhoek's innovative approach to recruit and retain the best teachers for his new charter, expected to open in 2009 in New York City (Washington Heights). The middle school will launch with seven teachers who will be selected on the basis of interviews and 'multiple forms of evidence attesting to their students' achievement and their own prowess.' The screening process will include 'three live teaching auditions.'

No surprise, as reported in the New York Times, the  head of the local principals' union claimed the plan was 'the craziest thing I've ever heard' and the head of the teachers' union wondered what would happen when the better paid teachers did not agree with the lesser paid principal (indeed, Mr. Vanderhoek himself, for at least four years). These are very 'old school' sentiments and questions -- to say the least. 

Kudos to Mr. Vanderhoek for pushing a bold idea forward -- but remember that recruiting and retaining top-flight teachers for high needs schools takes smart school designs and also money. The charter school already is having to 'scrimp' in order to pay their teachers as professionals. Mr. Vanderhoek, despite his thoughtful reallocation of public funds, must draw on philanthropic funding (and hopefully not bake sales) to make ends meet.

Nevertheless, thanks to Mr. Vanderhoek we can begin raising the questions, tied to real dollars and cents, of what teachers are worth to our democratic society. For my money, when top-flight teachers in NYC can make  more than $250,000 a year -- the salary of Chancellor Klein -- then I am ready to say we have made marked progress in advancing the profession that makes all others possible.

Comments

[Jessica Conner]

YAY! I have been an advocate for increasing teacher pay before I decided to go into this field. I feel that teachers are absolutely critical to the democratic society and for that reason, among others, educators should get paid more. I agree with the article that the "highest paid anybody" in a school district should be a teacher. Of course administration is essential. However a school obviously can not survive without qualified teachers. I also feel that the charter school mentioned had every right to interview the highly qualified teachers in order to decide which teachers to hire. I also feel that this charter school is making a good decision by having "teaching auditions". The only way to see if an educator knows their "stuff" is to see them in action. The only disappointment that I see is the fact that the school is having to "scrimp" for money. If I were applying for a ajob here I would love to see the amount of income that I would be making. However I would be turned off by the funds that the school in general is receiving. Yes the higher income for each teacher would be great but it would only be a personal gain...not a school community gain.

[Tami Wagaman]

Finally, we have a voice for the teachers. I think that this article puts the right ideas out there for the whole world to look at. I am an advocate for higher teacher pay and more repsect for the profession. The administrators are a major part of the picture and should not be overlooked, but most the of blame of test scores comes down to the teacher. If we, as teachers, are to be held responsible for what our students learn or do not learn we should be compensated fairly. I believe all students have the right to learn and for me to teach them to the best of my knowledge but the fact is that every student does not want to learn and at times will refuse to. Teacher are still held responsible for their learning whether they want to learn or not.

[Jessie Cillian]

After reading the blog on The Highest Paid Anybody is A Teacher?, I was quite interested in what was said. I was excited to know that someone is actually doing something out there about the concern of teachers not getting enough pay. I think it was interesting to know that Zeke Vanderhoek chose to have a few teachers paid more then a principle. I think it would be great and also have issues at the same time. I like the idea of having several interviews so that each teacher gets a few chances of being chosen and sharing their views and works. I also think there would be a difficult side in this as well. The competitive factor would be great to have so that teachers thrive to do their best always, but there are also negatives such as, there are “certain” teachers out there that would make this kind of thing get to their heads and like Zeke Vanderhoek said that they may think because they are paid more they don’t have to agree with the principal as often. Of course in the best of both worlds all teachers would get paid to the amount that we deserve. I love that he has raised ideas and concerns for this situation of underpaid teachers. I think this is an interesting start to this situation and I would love to see how it pans out.

[Ashley Ross]

It is wonderful to think that there are people working to get teachers paid as much as a so called professional. As a teacher, I feel that we are underpaid, and in many ways unappreciated. I honestly feel that many people do not understand the time and effort it takes to be a productive teacher. It is not 180 days of babysitting like many people think. Students do not learn a whole curriculum through osmosis. I do believe paying the teachers more than the principal does present some problems. Although teachers are the ones in the classroom doing the teaching, and teachers do have to deal with behavior problems, the role of a principal can not be overlooked. Principals are responsible for ensuring that their teachers are doing what their job entails. If a teacher is lacking, it is the principals job to help them find the help and resources they need to make the proper adjustments. It is also the principals job to deal with behavioral problems, retentions, and much more. I’m not saying that as a teacher I feel far inferior to the principal position, but I do know that if the school is low performing, the principal is the one that must answer the questions as to why. They are ultimately held responsible for the performance of the school as a whole. You also must realize that principals are teachers who have decided to leave the classroom in order to pursue a career as a “teacher manager.” In closing, although I would love to get paid the “big bucks,” it is definitely not why I chose this profession. Luckily for those out there who have children, most teachers are intrinsically motivated. Watching a child grow and succeed is enough to keep us in our underpaid position.

[Tara McCallum]

Okay...so let me be the devil's advocate for a while on teacher's pay. I am a certified health educator with a certificate for grades K-12. In order for me to get a job teaching only health, I HAVE to agree to coach. WHY? To generate funds for the school and especially for the athletic program. As a person who LOVES teaching, I would LOVE to have a job working with the children to help them learn to love health and themselves. So, the reason I can't get a job is because of the coaches who are there for the athletics and couldn't care less about what the students learn in the classroom. Do these teachers deserve to get paid as much as administration? I think that teaching is a great profession, and yes is underpaid. But what other job can you get that provides you with 11-13 weeks off a year? You only work until 2:30 or 3:00 with an occasional meeting after school, and a dance once in a while. If you are a teacher, this should be what you want to do because of your love for the students. Maybe I am just simple and don't want for much. I just want to point out the positive side of teaching. I think that it is a great profession and even though I teach in a different capacity, I enjoy the students. I just wanted to be the devil's advocate for a minute.

[Ariel Austin]

I have to say that I agree with the point the article is making about us being professionals and having the right to be compensated for our work. I think that we are underpaid and in certain situations and areas not even closely compensated for what we do. I do however agree with the comment on our job being great with all the perks there are to being a teacher. I wanted to comment on what Tara said about us getting 11-13 weeks off in the year. I work at an year round school where I do not get the 11-13 weeks off in the year. I get paid a little more for that but it still isn't fair compensation when you think about it. And for those who work at the traditional calendar schools yes they get the 11-13 weeks off in the year but they don't get paid for that. So, I don't think it's fair to factor that in to why we are paid what we are paid. I say good for that administrator for his efforts in trying to get us better pay. I hope to see more efforts like his in the future.

[Radar Engineer/Math Teacher/Parent]

Tara said: "But what other job can you get that provides you with 11-13 weeks off a year? You only work until 2:30 or 3:00 with an occasional meeting after school, and a dance once in a while". Ariel commented on the vacation part; I'll take on the 2:30 or 3:00 part. Tara, it is entirely possible that as a health educator YOUR workday ended at 2:30 or 3:00. I have to presume that you don't give homework assignments or exams. GRADING papers is a huge and time-consuming job.

[Joe Pieroni]

Finally!!! A plan that might work. It seems that too many of the teachers that go on to be administrators are not good teachers and just want a bigger pay check or want the title that goes with the job. We need the best teachers making the decisions about how the schools are run, how the tests are designed, and how to hold everyone accountable for their work.