The Louisiana Department of Education is bringing to fruition the acme of corporate reform salary schedules for teachers. It may have been jointly designed by ALEC and TFA.
Neither experience nor degrees count. The only thing that matters is value-added test scores. The LDOE recommends big bonuses–merit pay–of $10,000 or more for the teachers whose students get higher scores.
Bear in mind that the budget for the schools is stagnant. The law doesn’t permit salary reductions, so any bonuses will be funded by freezing the salaries of the overwhelming majority of teachers.
This is a recipe for massive demoralization of the state’s teachers.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Disgusting!
LikeLike
Well, if that was indeed an ALEC initiative, they have a creepy way of making their way into other states.
LikeLike
Who are they trying to kid? There will be no money for any merit pay.
LikeLike
They have a divide and conquer strategy built in. That money comes from pay freezes.
Let’s face it: there is always money for certain initiatives. Always. Just look at the free money given to charter schools. Pearson, private contractors…bank bailouts…the list goes on and on.
LikeLike
That’ll likely be the case, Jim. I bet that’ll be true in Florida. Those who can’t teach and make laws about teaching haven’t thought it through.
LikeLike
Sad- and those who protest such a system will be labeled “greedy.”
LikeLike
I agree with all those above.
Teaching has become a job and not a career. Clearly there is no interest in maintaining staff. Who in their right mind would ever consider teaching lower ability students.
LikeLike
With no tenure [due process] or increases in pay for educators, local economies will suffer. The school district is the largest employer in our county. Who will suppport local small businesses, and what entity would underwrite a mortgage for an educator?
LikeLike
Chris,
Great points – all. I remember waaayyy back in the early eighties when some teachers could not get mortgages because of low pay. Add low pay to job instability and the American Dream goes down the tube,
I simply don’t understand the hostility projected on educators. I don’t understand corporate greed or any greed so egregious that its purpose is to lower that standard of living and the morale of public employees whose purpose and passion is teaching young people.
The irony is the old adage – “If you can…thank a teacher.” With thanks like this, I say, “No thanks to thanks.”
LikeLike
It is actually much worse. Many Louisiana school districts, because current law says salaries cannot be reduced for current teachers, are designing pay scales that will go into effect for NEW teachers next school year with a much lower pay scale. This is to find a way to pay for these so called merit pay bonuses.
This has been a goal of this administration that thinks teachers are overpaid. In addition, charters and voucher schools are not required to participate in the Teacher Retirement system or to offer health benefits for teachers – another plus in the “get the teachers” game.
Some are predicting an overturn of the law that does not allow a cut in teacher pay this spring when the legislature is back in session. Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh.
LikeLike
Every teacher knows that testing outcome is tied to SES. I can see a mass exodus of great teachers from low SES schools. Is Jindal a complete idiot?
LikeLike
I assume that’s either rhetorical or a trick question. LOL
LikeLike
And what about us arts teachers? I teach music therefore at this point how can I even get merit pay if I’m not directly linked to any assessment? I see every child on campus. Does that mean that I’m stuck at this pay having worked so hard to attain extra training in music methodologies AND a masters +30 before I even turned 30? It isnt a career anymore. But i can assure you my furure children will reap the benefits of my education when they are schooled in home. At least I feel lucky as a teacher in Louisiana right now. Unlike most others I can set up my private studio and so what I had set forth to do –TEACH the joy of music and nurture talent like the one I was given.
LikeLike
Arts teachers will be eligible for merit pay through the Student Learning Targets they must submit to the state. Teachers in testing grades and subjects will have their pay based 50% on student test scores (the other 50% from the untried new teacher evaluation instrument). Teachers in non-tested grades and subjects will submit their own goals – Student Learning Targets – and these will take the
place of test scores. Many teachers and district leader realize that a
self-made Student Learning Target cannot compare to a Value-Added Score that comes completely from test scores and accordingly have offered higher merit pay to VAM teachers than SLT teachers. It sets up a dual system of Merit pay. Unfortunately it also has set up circumstances for a duel between teachers.
LikeLike
Completely ignores what we know about poverty and wealth and how they affect educational success as well as the inefficacy of offering bonuses to educators.
Teachers in higher socioeconomic will have a somewhat built-in advantage. Teachers in poor areas don’t work any less diligently to help their students be successful. In fact, my experience has been that they work harder. Relying on test scores stacks the odds against teachers working in poor areas. Many will tough it out until evaluations send them packing, many will quit in frustration, and some will take the low road and cheat. It’s a sad statement on the state of things when unknowing reformers are able to put such harmful policies into place.
LikeLike
As a teacher in Jefferson Parish, right outside New Orleans, I can tell you our salaries have been frozen for the past three years. Yet, if a teacher is hired by Jefferson from out of state, he/she gets the published salary.
Additionally, in the summer our superintendent, James Meza and his TFA administrators attended Alice Walton’s conference in Seattle,Washington.
One of those administrators, Jacob Landry inadvertently released to the Internet the Teacher Management Plan which included how to demoralize and get rid of teachers, how to intimidate and cower the union, and how to give the school board “cover” ( by creating bad teacher press). Unbelievably, part of the plan was to quiet teacher discontent and blindsided them through teacher focus groups and “happy hours.” It is obvious that Jefferson Parish is not negotiating in good faith on the union contract. We have been without one since June. Morale is very low. And the fascinating thing is that our scores were improving under our old superintendent, Diane Roussell and Dr. meza is taking credit for this.
My prediction is that Dr. Meza’s next job will be for one of these new “reform” organizations.
Since we have not had a contract since June, The belief is that the administration is not negotiating in good faith.
LikeLike
Thank you for posting this. Can you tell me more about teacher focus groups and “happy hours”. I’m curious about what they are. Also, I’m sorry that you are working for unethical sleazebags. Pretty sad.
LikeLike
Wow, I expect to be reading about some cheating scandals in Louisiana VERY soon. When will the teachers of Louisiana just up and quit? Enough is enough!! I’ve worked in a charter with merit pay and it is a complete joke!
LikeLike