Pay and Incentive Systems in Schools...Could it Fix Part of the Problem

Since this is a tough topic to get into right now, I'm going to attempt to remain as unbiased as possible throughout this entry.  The topic of Pay and Incentive Systems came up recently in the text of our Human Resources Management Class here at Kutztown University, and I thought that this would be a worthwhile topic to research, since I've thought about getting into education for years and have many friends and family who are currently, or were at one point in their past, part of the education system.

Unless you've been living under a rock lately, which as on one of the new Geico commercials suggests some people may actually do, you've seen the wars that are being waged between various states and the teachers unions.  Most notable of them all is the one going on in Wisconsin right now, which for a quick perspective on I recommend what John Stewart recently had to say about the topic on the 'Daily Show' via the Huffington Post.

One of the major aspects of this very public debate is the loss of control, or collective bargaining rights, of the unions in the future.  Various groups and individuals outside of the education system, and some inside, have, for quite some time now, called for a more effective way to evaluate, compensate, and retain the best educators in various school systems around the country and many of these unions have quite vehemently opposed any reform of the current system.

One of the aspects of educational reform that many suggest may help to end these wars in the future along with providing more accountability, potential for reward, and an increase in the perception of the professionalism of educators around the country is merit based pay for teachers.  There are many articles out there on the topic, but I'll suggest taking a quick look at two that I've read recently.  The first article is from 2001, well before the market crash of the last few years, and the other is from 2010, just months before everything began to erupt in Wisconsin.

There is still a long way to go with reforming our education system in this country, but the only way that we can make sure that our country is successful in the future is by providing the best education for our students, and rewarding those that do that providing in the best way possible.  Maybe that means that we need to make more of an effort to reform the entire system to include merit based pay?  These articles seem to suggest that it is not only possible, but that it is working in various parts of the country already.