Reward the teachers who perform the best

Once again the Daily Herald stories and data of Nov. 13 do more than tell a story. Well done. Ironically, the best part is what wasn’t said. The data clearly show that salary has little to do with achievement in total. When the highest-paid districts have not measured up in AYP, and the lowest-paid district has, it is time to do more than scratch your head.

I do not have a problem with salary budgets in general. I do have a problem with the pension system, but that is a different issue. What is a problem, however, is that individual high-performing teachers are dragged along at the same level as low-performing, coasting teachers.

To put it in perspective: Why do students get grades of F, D, C, B, and A? Based upon achievement. Doesn’t it seem logical to reward the people who base grades upon achievement the same way? I know this defies the union mentality, but we are not building a brick wall or a car. If we are building our future. Doesn’t it make sense to reward the best teachers more than the worst? It is the only fair way to keep the best while allowing the under performing teachers to leave to another field through attrition.

Richard Francke

Bartlett