Phil Berger, leader of the Tea Party-dominated State Senate in North Carolina, thinks that anyone who opposes merit pay must be North Korean, but high school teacher Stuart Egan explains here why he is wrong.
He doesn’t need a carrot or a stick to do his best in the classroom.
He doesn’t want to compete with his colleagues.
Students take the tests, not teachers.
He is not the only one who taught them.
The state had a bonus pay plan twenty years ago, and it didn’t work.
There is more, and I would add: Merit pay, bonus pay, and pay-for-performanc3 plans have been tried for 100 years. They have never worked. Teachers are doing the best they know how. Offering them money doesn’t make them work harder. If you want them to be better teachers, devise plans for them to work with mentors or to return to graduate courses. Read my chapter on merit pay in “Reign of Error.”
Nothing fails like failure. Again and again. Isn’t that the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting to get different results?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
If he wants it, he should get it. I see no merit in anything he’s provided in his “service” to the state of North Carolina. Therefore, his merit pay should be $0.
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Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Education and commented:
Politician are good at reviving old, dead, failed and worthless policies.
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I’m not sure of where to post this so decided this was as good a place as any. The National Institutes of Health is the largest research facility in the US. It is in Bethesda, MD.
How much work will be needed to allow these first graders to develop into responsible adults? Whatever is needed, it won’t be available since it costs money. How sad to write off these children. DeVos’s ‘choice’ won’t help these kids and Trump certainly wouldn’t care about anyone with ‘neurobiological deficits’ since he makes fun of those who are physically impaired.
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Study of first-graders shows fetal alcohol spectrum disorders prevalent in U.S. communities
NIH-funded research examined over 6,000 children to determine prevalence of FASD ranged from 1.1 to 5 percent.
02/06/2018 11:00 AM EST
NIH-funded research examined over 6,000 children to determine prevalence of FASD ranged from 1.1 to 5 percent.
A study of more than 6,000 first-graders across four U.S. communities has found that a significant number of the children have fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), with conservative rates ranging from 1 to 5 percent in community samples. The new findings represent more accurate prevalence estimates of FASD among general U.S. communities than prior research. Previous FASD estimates were based on smaller study populations and did not reflect the overall U.S. population. The study was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health.
FASD is an umbrella term for a range of health effects caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. Individuals with FASD may experience growth deficiencies, facial abnormalities, and organ damage, including to the brain. The effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the brain can result in a range of neurobiological deficits that contribute to physical, cognitive, behavioral, and social challenges throughout life.
“Prenatal alcohol exposure is a leading preventable cause of developmental disabilities worldwide,” said NIAAA Director George F. Koob, Ph.D. “Estimating the prevalence of FASD in the United States has been complex due to the challenges in identifying prenatally exposed children. The findings of this study confirm that FASD is a significant public health problem, and strategies to expand screening, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment are needed to address it.”…
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/study-first-graders-shows-fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorders-prevalent-us-communities
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Don’t forget who funded the launch of the Tea Party and guided these easy to manipulate, hate-filled Americans on ALEC’s politically deplorable highway — The Koch brothers!!!!!
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Amen, Lloyd. Again you write volumes with only a few words. I have some choice “statements” about the Koch brothers.
Everyone in this country should read Howard Zinn:
http://www.historyisaweapon.com/zinnapeopleshistory.html
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I’d only add “looking-to-get-rich” to the description: more often than not all I ever see with far right legislation is shameless profiteering.
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“The Definition of Insanity”
Just because it’s failed
A million times before
Doesn’t mean it’s nailed
Forever to the floor!
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Some Texas High School Football Coaches Wisdom:
When you do what you’ve always done, then you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.
Doing the same thing in the same manner and expecting a different result is insanity. (Einstein)
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At the same time I believe it was Lombardi who said to run a successful play over and over and over until the other team stops it. Student body right (or left) for four yards each time is guaranteed to end in a touchdown.
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You are correct sir. In this case, it is time to find the right play. Unfortunately, the coach of this team can’t coach their way out of a wet paper bag with both ends cut out.
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If Betsy was the coach she would first have to figure out what a football is.
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That’s also the definition of rocket science.
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What about the old study about intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation? Each time the study is conducted the same results are produced. Students, teachers, business people, etc always perform better with intrinsic motivation, i.e. not merit pay. So why not go back and train all of the politicians to understand the negative affects of common core, school choice, and merit pay only squash intrinsic motivation and further negative consequences?
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Then let’s start paying doctors, dentists, etc. based on their patient’s numbers (blood results, weight, BMI, etc.) Would they think that is fair? Would they start working harder or doing more for patients? I doubt it. They can teach patients, advise them, and give resources…but in the end, they cannot go home with them and make sure they are eating right, exercising,(AKA- following through, doing homework) etc.
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It’s more apparent every day that one’s beliefs have nothing to do with facts that oppose those beliefs. You just have to defeat them, don’t try to reason with them.
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These policies keep showing up from the people who demand evidence-based research…and refuse to accept the evidence.
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It is worth noting that most of the data they use to demonstrate the depravity of public Ed is the same data they choose to ignore if it does not suit them.
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When you have an ideological hammer (competition) every situation look like a nail.
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I don’t know if this is on your radar yet since you’re stepping back right now… but North Carolina just passed a bill that includes a “fix” for our unfunded class size mandate (which is basically just kicking the can down the road)… but it also includes language that furthers school privatization and, weirdly, legislation regarding a gas pipeline through North Carolina…
Special update: Controversial bill on class size, pipeline fund, elections/ethics board merger heads to the Governor
http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2018/02/13/special-update-controversial-bill-class-size-pipeline-fund-elections-ethics-board-merger-heads-governor/
In better news, our 12th annual HKonJ Moral March this past weekend went great, despite the rain, and we will be heading to the polls this fall to “fix” things ourselves.
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