This refers to the educational philosophy that suggests that teachers should be paid according to their performance, with the more competent teachers receiving significantly higher pay. Teachers still get the step and lane salary in the merit pay system. The main difference is that one can also earn additional money based on thorough performance evaluations.
Here’re some pros and cons of the merit pay system.
The pros:
· Incentivized teachers will work harder and generate better results. The simple possibility of additional money will most likely translate into smarter teaching and improved results for the children.
· Merit pay system will help recruit and retain the country’s brightest minds. Particularly effective and intelligent teachers may reconsider leaving the profession if they feel that their outstanding efforts will be recognized in their paychecks.
· Merit pay will inspire potential teachers to consider the profession a viable career choice instead of a personal sacrifice for the higher good. The profession will look more credible and modern by joining teaching salaries to performance, thus attracting fresh college graduates to the classroom.
· If the old methods of motivating teachers and running schools aren’t working, probably it’s time to think outside the box and try merit pay.
The cons:
· Many major questions will have to be adequately answered before educators can even consider implementing merit pay for teachers. These deliberations will inevitably take away from the actual goal of focusing on the students and providing them with the best education possible.
· In places that have already tried variations of merit pay system, the results have often been counterproductive and unpleasant competition between teachers. If teachers refrain from working as a team, it may be disastrous for the students.
· High-stakes merit pay systems will naturally encourage corruption and dishonesty. Educators will be financially encouraged to lie about testing and results. Teachers may have valid suspicions of principal favoritism. All these messy issues serve only to distract from the needs of the students who simply need teachers’ attention and energies to succeed in the world.
The largest criticism of the merit pay system is that it’s almost impossible to measure teacher effectiveness, which is the most important component involved in determining extra compensation. Therefore, administrators should devise a thorough and meaningful evaluation system based on transparency and fairness rather than relying on any test to display classroom effectiveness. The evaluation process should be as clear as possible, and educators need to know exactly what’s involved in the review.
