TEACHER COMPENSATION.   Term Paper ID:20484 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Need for & types of alternative pay plans, impact on educational system. Merit pay, incentives, profit-sharing, working conditions.... More...

10 Pages / 2250 Words 3 sources, 25 Citations, APA Format $40.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: Need for & types of alternative pay plans, impact on educational system. Merit pay, incentives, profit-sharing, working conditions. Paper Introduction: Alternatives for Teacher Compensation Current concerns regarding compensation for teachers involve more than pay. Redesigning comprehensive compensation programs requires values clarification which affects organizational goals, norms for teachers and children, the place of teachers in the culture, their relationship with other teachers, and management strategies in administration (Odden, 1992, p. 81). It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the redesign of compensation programs for teachers in terms of new, goal-oriented education, effective workplaces for teachers and students, and the specifics of total compensation packages. In recent years, educational philosophy has drawn much from models of business management which emphasize outcomes in work. The 1960's and 1970's brought behavioral objectives and behavior Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Some educators believe that meritpay will emphasize the mediocre rather than excellence. Theoretically, change in compensation packages can accompanystructural changes in education as a whole. These two forms of adjustment arebest given at separate times and named specifically (Cresap, McCormick, &Paget, 1984, p. 82). And 3. In order to operate as a unit, schools must determine the primarygoals of their organization. Some examples of working conditions which appeal to teachers arealternative plans for chronically disruptive students, decreasedinterruption of classroom time, hiring administrative aides, and decreasingcurriculum requirements. In 1981, the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Consortium for PersonnelDevelopment instituted a combined incentive and career ladder program toreward exemplary teachers. Rethinking school finance: An agenda for the199 s. New York:University Press of America. This is admirable, but it creates a situation in whichexcellent, experienced teachers are not paid very much more than new,inexperienced teachers. In recent years, educational philosophy has drawn much from models ofbusiness management which emphasize outcomes in work. Teacher incentives: A tool foreffective management. Public school systems cannot use traditional profit-sharing, but other goals are possible which may be rewarded. The reward must represent asizable amount of money, and the employees must value monetary income.Employees must believe that their performance actually does influence therate of pay for performance-based pay to be effective (Cresap, McCormick, &Paget, 1984, p. In schools the units of production would be improvements instudent achievement. The unit cost reduction could be included into againsharing program for schools. Some salary scales provided for incrementsconnected with additional training and experience, but these steps were notlarge. An enhanced environment with acceptable class size andadequate textbooks and materials does much to attract and retain goodteachers. A sound compensation plan needs to be developed and implemented in anorderly manner. Some appraisal systems are complex,demanding, and timeconsuming. S., Jr. Recent research does show that more experienced teachers do have a base ofknowledge and skill that is quite different from an untried teacher (Odden,1992, p. The mostworkable payment systems will involve continued evaluation systems in whichmanagers can identify and assess the knowledge and skill level of teachersand faculty as well as accurate measurement of student achievement. Recipients of such fellowshipswould be required to teach in a public school for three to five years aftercompleting the training and would be required to pay back the cost of thetraining if they did not fulfill the teaching requirement. Odden, Allan R. References Cresap, McCormick, & Paget. They must create an administrative andeducational structure which meets those goals, and they must incorporate amanagement structure which supports the goals and the teachers' aims inmeeting the goals (Odden, 1992, p. 15). The best solutionis to offer benefit packages from which teachers can choose the mix ofbenefits they prefer. Current salary schedules for teachers generally are not linked withinstitutional goals, professional knowledge and skill, or student outcomes. The 196 's and197 's brought behavioral objectives and behavior modification intoclassroom use, and the emphasis now has moved to the goal outcomes ofteaching itself. Thoughtful and progressivecompanies separate merit increases from cost of living increases. In order to effectively redesign compensation packages for teachers,we need to examine the following three issues: 1. Many states have already instituted this policy. 81). Such flexible, attractive plans improveteacher satisfaction with fringe benefits and allow the school to recruitmore qualified instructors. Traditionally, teachers were prepared for teaching jobs, received acertificate, and given a job with full teaching responsibility. Can elements of a total compensation package provideopportunities to change the present structure? Some schools have focused on improved working conditions as part ofthe compensation. Only about fourpercent of school districts compensate public school employees on the basisof performance. 214).However, because of administrative and union difficulties, most schoolsthat have attempted merit pay programs have dropped them. This could take the form of increased supervision andbetter measures of performance. Merit plans might stifle theextra efforts that naturally good teachers put forth in areas that do noteven fall within their teaching duties. Programs that improve student achievement levels,reduce the costs of schools, increase teacher pay, and improve workerconditions would be beneficial for all concerned. 78). Lawler citesthree strategies that will enhance administrator success in institutingmerit pay programs. This model actually rewarded for excellencein teaching rather than length of service (Johnson, 1985, p. Can organizationalfactors facilitate modification in teacher or faculty compensation? Other considerations: Beginning salaries need to be set at abenchmark level, perhaps the average salary for all liberal arts collegegraduates. (Editor). Such a plan reduces inequities between states and districts,and teachers have 15 percent of their salary contributed to the pensioneach year (odden, 1992, p. Pensions: Pension plans work best if they are nationwide, such asthe TIAA-CREF national program. The relationship betweenschools and the society they represent has historically been complex.Social trends invariably reveal themselves in the schools, resulting inupheaval and eventual change. Redesigning comprehensive compensation programs requires valuesclarification which affects organizational goals, norms for teachers andchildren, the place of teachers in the culture, their relationship withother teachers, and management strategies in administration (Odden, 1992,p. However, such expertise is usually not rewarded. Gainsharing programs are characterized by highemployee involvement. This typeof management will likely have fewer layers of structure, greater teacherand faculty involvement, and highly active administrators. It is the case as with any problem--one must begin somewhere. Understandably there is constant discussion and controversy regarding whatis important to teach. 8). Successful businesses also utilize management techniques which arecharacterized by continuous development of professionalism, highinvolvement of employees at every level of decision-making, and effectivematches between employees and job descriptions. Teachers usually contribute five percent of theirsalary to the fund, which is matched on a two-to-one basis by the employinginstitution. Some versions of various compensationprograms are easier to administer than others, and generally, assessmentsystem is sound, administrative decision-making can be straightforward(Cresap, McCormick, & Paget, 1984, p. 8). There wereno opportunities for promotion. In the past, there has been an emphasis on fairness, due process,and equality. Schools which follow thismodel would expect teachers to continuously grow and change, administratorsto elicit information and ideas from faculty, and better fit betweenvarious types of workers and their tasks. Schools who desire to adopt new ways of paying teachersmust begin with a thorough philosophical inquiry into the mission and goalsof their institution, and teachers and community representatives should beinvolved at every level of redesigning a compensation schedule. 56). Merit pay programs can requireirrational homogeneity of functions and unpleasant competition amongteachers (Johnson, 1985, p. Whatever new system is devised must beaccompanied by the development of a congruent management system. Many meritprograms failed in the 198 's, and they were replaced with career ladderprograms which served to promote the best teachers into leadershippositions with the school systems. 27). Private schools use merit pay on a somewhat greater scale,but many private school teachers do not know the basis on which theirperformance is evaluated (Cresap, McCormick, & Paget, 1984, p. Improved work areas and offices and discretionaryfunds for supplies add greatly to teacher morale and autonomy (Cresap,McCormick, & Paget, 1984, p. At present, it seems thatschools have only one teacher "mold" and each one on the faculty is more orless expected to fit it. The existing system which linked incentives totenure, higher degrees, and other indicators of status did not reallyreward excellence (Johnson, 1985, p. 46). They havethe task of enculturating young individuals into the society and teachingthem the skills that will enable them to function well within that society. Such plans are incentives for teachers to cooperate in theteam effort of increasing student learning (Odden, 1992, p. 13). Private sector experience with pay incentives is often compared withefforts for instituting teacher incentives. A sliding scale could be devised to compensatefor a greater amount of knowledge or skill. Theyhave found that if the two types of direct financial incentives areblurred, they lose their effectiveness. Gainsharing combines a bonus plan with participation of employees inthe plan. Politically, the concept of merit pay is quite popular. School-based equivalents of profit-sharing and gainsharing have foundfavor in some schools. However, the facts of myriad demands androles served by teachers and schools (Cresap, McCormick, & Paget, 1984, p.6) are not mutually exclusive from workable, effective compensationpackages. It may bemotivated by political considerations rather than educational concerns.Merit programs may complicate individual differences among teachers andstaff development programs for remediation. This program, which is provided to collegeprofessors, may follow professionals, even if they move to another statefor a new position. Such recruitment into training programs would effectively andinexpensively provide for thousands of new teachers needed each year at anaverage cost of $8 per teacher (Odden, 1992, p. 77). 44). 79). Such plans could effectively use computer technologyand union cooperation. In businesses, the link between payment and jobdescription is rather close, and in particular, small business owners,sales persons, and managers of sales are accustomed to finding a directrelationship between their output and their salary or commission. Rather complex organizational factors are related to the redesign ofequitable compensation packages. Alternatives for Teacher Compensation Current concerns regarding compensation for teachers involve morethan pay. Realistically, workablecompensation packages must include the fact of teacher rights to unions andcollective bargaining. Other possible nonfinancial incentives which may be suitable for ateacher compensation plan include formal education programs, careerplanning programs, special team projects, and special recognition awards(Cresap, McCormick, & Paget, 1984, p. Johnson, H. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.----------------------- 1 Bonus plans and non-financial incentives such asspecial projects, sabbaticals, career development, and employee "loans" tooutside organizations provide innovative employee motivations (Cresap,McCormick, & Paget, 1984, p. 42). Teacher salaries have lost groundin relation to the other professions, although this trend may reverse asthe law of supply and demand favors teachers who are fewer in number(Cresap, McCormick, & Paget, 1984, p. In themost effective schools, such sitebased management would include a balancebetween collegiality and individuality and teacher participation in school-wide improvement activities (Odden, 1992, p. Next, they shoulddecrease bureaucratic effort that is not related to actual teaching, andthey must work to further enhance the relationship between performance andvalued outcome. Can teacher and facultycompensation be redesigned within the framework of employee bargaining andcontracts? 81). (1992). Other possibilities includemaster teacher assignments, part time or joint appointments, grants andscholarships, and early retirement (Cresap, McCormick, & Paget, 1984, p.17). (1985). Businesses have night shifts, flex time,commission payments, team groups, or solitary projects for the highlycreative employee. The only real way for a teacher to receive a much greater salaryhas been to move into consulting, staff development, specialist work, oradministration (Odden, 1992, p. First, school managers should see that there is arelationship between performance and valued outcome. Merit pay may have limitations. Benefits: Flexible benefits particularly fit the type oforganization that employs highly educated individuals. 2. A systematic pyramid of levelsof development moved teachers from the beginning point of probationaryteacher to Career Status III. 74). 1 6). Traditionally teachers were rather passive and depended onadministration to set policy, determine salaries, and handle controversy.Administrators of the old guard valued rather compliant, though capableinstructors who could cover their classroom without raising difficultpolitical or social issues. However, schools have a unique position in the culture. This is the nature of the relationship of schoolsto the society which they serve. Individuals are usually pleased with this type ofarrangement, and the school may even save money by offering several plansto employees (Odden, 1992, p. Presentlybeginning salaries vary considerably from location to location. Studentperformance, attendance rates, graduation rates, postsecondary attendancerates, and community satisfaction may be quantified and built into bonusesfor teachers. If schools and administrators are serious aboutredesigning payment programs for teachers, they must be willing to devotetime and energy to the task. It seems that such programs threatenteacher collegiality, a traditional aspect of effective schools (Odden,1992, p. 21 ). Base pay: Presently, teacher base pay is lower than what is requiredto attract highly qualified candidates. Lastly, teachers should be involved in allphases of the reward system (Johnson, 1985, p. Reston, Virginia: National Association of SecondarySchool Principals. Merit, money and teachers'careers: Studies on merit pay and career ladders for teachers. 8). Teachers can design approaches thatreduce costs while improving performance and share in the money saved(Odden, 1992, p. The philosophy of an organization and its leaders will very muchdetermine the facilitation and modification of teacher salaries andcompensation programs. These simple steps may createchallenges for school districts and administrations which have not grappledwith the basic philosophies of their schools and the community that isserved. 11). Work studyprograms could fill a similar function. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the redesign ofcompensation programs for teachers in terms of new, goal-orientededucation, effective workplaces for teachers and students, and thespecifics of total compensation packages. A base pay scale dependent uponlevels of knowledge and skills would accurately and fairly compensateteachers from the outset. Recruitment into training: Odden believes that there should be aninservice fellowship training program for all new teachers which providesfor all college costs for a preservice program leading to a bachelor'sdegree and beginning teaching credential. The stateof Alaska has the highest average beginning salary ($29,763), and Louisianahas the lowest ($15,544) (Odden, 1992, p. However, in present times, teacher unions,strikes, contracts, and collective bargaining are very much a part of theteaching profession, at least in urban centers. 18). (1984). 46). The elements of a total compensation package might include base pay,performance-based pay, benefits, pensions, recruitment into training, andflexible benefit packages. It is widely known that different companies havedifferent corporate cultures, and employees are free to choose theorganization that most effectively matches their own style and valuestructure. Performance-based pay: It has been shown that pay that is trulylinked to performance increases productivity. 95). If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.