Merit Pay Essay

Merit Pay Essay
Legal Status of Merit Pay Inasmuch as implementing a merit pay system is not illegal, it can cause
legal concerns. As stated by Pullin (2013), the legal concerns will arise due to how a merit pay
system has been established and the rubric to determine who is eligible for the reward. For example,
if a teacher perceives a school leader does not like them, the controversy will be the ratings are not
accurate on their observation. If the ratings are not accurate, it will result in the teacher not receiving
their merit pay bonus. In my district, the teacher rating system is based on 80% teacher practice. As
the school leader, I am required to observe their delivery of instruction, data analysis,
differentiation, curriculum alignment, classroom climate, and professional responsibilities.
According to the observation tool, one or two words will make the difference if the rating is
Proficient 1, 2, or 3. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
However, each school district can work with the teacher's union to establish the governing standards
of the merit pay system. Smith stated in the article that schools must implement what is has
established as the measurable standards (2011). In my district, the teacher observation tool is what
the school leaders are mandated to use in observing the teacher. It is important to give specific
feedback to the teachers in the praise and polish of each standard. The feedback should speak to
what areas you notice quality instructional practices and what areas are in need of improvement. I
use the actual terminology of the rubric when giving feedback to ensure I am observing the specific
instructional
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

Merit Pay System Does Not Work
From a very young age, many Americans learned the concept that one will receive a reward, or a
punishment based on how well the task is performed. For example, if a child does well on a
homework assignment, they may receive a reward from their teacher by placing a smiley face
sticker on their assignment. Similarly, many Americans believe that if they are determined to have a
task completed in time and tried their very best, they will be rewarded with either a pay raise or a
bonus. According to the United States Department of Labor, the merit pay system is defined as "a
raise in pay based on a set of criteria set by the employer. This usually involves the employer
conducting a review meeting with the employee to discuss the employee's work ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
Rewarding employees by giving them pay raises may motivate employees to increase productive,
however, it can become very costly to employers. When a small company is not doing well in
production and the salaries of its' employees is very high, the company may need to be laying off
some of its' employees, most likely the employees who are not doing well compared to others in
order to remain in the market. A way that employees would be affected by being laid off is by
starting over their job search from scratch. Employees who are laid off would average about 6
months without a job, causing health issues to increase due to stress and relying on unemployment
insurance if they do qualify. Employers would also be affected by the layoffs because they must face
hidden costs that they need to bear. Employers would have an increase in costs for unemployment
insurance because the layoff was not voluntary. According to Oswald (2017), "The cost of an
individual UI claim depends on how much the employee made, how long they remain on
unemployment, and the state's maximum benefit amount. The average amount paid out on an
unemployment claim is $4200 but can cost up to $12,000 or even more" (para. 8). Because of this,
the fact proves that the merit pay system does not work because of how costly it is to employers
themselves by providing unemployment insurance to each laid off

Teacher Merit Pay Case Study
A. Current Issues: Teacher Merit Pay: States were asked by the U.S. Department of Education in
their 2010 application for Race to the Top monies to include proposals for implementing teacher
merit pay based on classroom performance (Woessmann, 2011). Merit pay or performance–based
pay is a bonus for teachers whose students show above average growth over a set period of time
measured by many different standards that are picked by local and/or state districts. The hope is that
teacher merit pay would have an immediate impact on student achievement. Teacher merit pay stirs
an emotional response from teachers, politicians, and parents. President Barack Obama has called
for a national effort to improve student achievement in the classroom and often ... Show more
Cons: Opponents to merit pay believe it would result in a counter–productive narrowing of teacher's
goals and competition between educators who otherwise would promote meaningful collaboration
(Ritter, 2010). In most instances, teachers can earn a pay raise in only two ways: experience and
additional education credentials such as advanced degrees (Cowley, 2011). Cultural expectations for
student performance are high in Asia which may mislead claims that performance pay increases
student achievement (Woessman, 2011). A merit pay system may discourage top scholars from
majoring in education. The evaluation instruments used to measure teachers' performance are
typically flawed and do not have strong research to back them. If we want teachers to support merit
pay, we should be considering plans that offer substantial awards in the 10% to 20% of base salary;
however, this is often not the case. Evaluations of teachers for merit pay are often subjective leading
to widely inaccurate measurements. The first reaction of most teachers is skeptical and provokes
anger (Ritter, 2010). Denver's Professional Compensation for Teachers plan, the leading national
example of performance pay, awards more money for earning another degree than for demonstrated
performance in the classroom (Buck,

Merit Pay Research Paper
Nelson Mandela once said, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change
the world" . This statement is not unexpected because all trail blazers from our history books such
Mandela, John F. Kennedy, and Theodore Roosevelt have addressed the importance of education.
However, comparing how our politicians and governors treat education ,today to then, may leave
our innovators of the past dissapointed. One of the elements of how we fail to put forth effort into
making sure education is a priority is teacher income. Teacher's salaries should be based on
expertise, experience, and quality. Having better teachers will encourage students to think critically
and inspire change, to thrive and succeed. A a a a a a a a a a a a a ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
When testing officials make tremendous decisions pertaining to education, it impacts every public
school in the state, regulating what students learn or don't learn. A point often overlooked is the
normal teacher extraordinaire, Barbara Houghtaling, 8th grade civics instructor, "When (a teacher's
salary) is based on test scores, it is unfair to the teacher because the teacher can't pick her students.
There may be a 7th grader who only reads on a 3rd grade level. That student will take the same test
as an advanced student and the teacher will be penalized when that student fails. It is also is unfair
to the student as the teacher only teaches to the test". This clearly demonstrates the inequity of the
Florida education system, by demonstrating how it affects the students and the teachers. Before
officials implement decisions that impact thousands of children, they should attempt to hear the
many voices of teachers across the state and evaluate whether the policies are suitable to state needs.
A a a a a a a a a a a

Merit Pay Benefits
"The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows." This quote by Sydney J. Harris
notes that schooling provides opportunities and guides career paths. The effectiveness of teachers
can cause a generation of workers, parents, and students to prosper or fail. Yet, with such a burden
on their shoulders, they have one of the lowest paying professions. Teachers deserve more money
than $54,740 to $58,170 a year. Merit pay should be incorporated into all U.S. school systems. The
single salary schedule that schools use now does not reward more hardworking teachers effectively.
According to "All Teachers Are Not the Same", the single salary schedule was implemented in the
1950's to provide equality between female and male teachers' ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
For instance, "Merit–pay programs aimed at groups of teachers who worked together to earn
incentive pay, as opposed to individuals competing against one another, resulted in an effect more
than two times the average" (Iasevoli). Regardless of competition, teachers who work together are
the ones who get the rewards. Teachers will realize cooperation is key to getting benefits. Also, the
teachers who aren't getting rewards for their effectiveness won't have as strong as a reason as others
to stay in the profession, Thus, they would leave which weeds out the ineffective teachers. The
equally important text "Merit Pay for Teachers Can Lead to Higher Test Scores for Students, a Study
Finds" points out, "teacher participation in a merit–pay program led to the equivalent of four extra
weeks of student learning, according to a new analysis of 44 studies of incentive–pay initiatives in
the United States and abroad." With merit pay in place, teachers will be more dedicated to teaching
with benefits in mind, will be able to get more and better materials, and could be less stressed which
can reflect on the students. Students would be affected positively from merit pay because the
classroom environment would be more helpful and the bad teachers would either work harder or
leave. The claim that merit pay has a negative impact on teachers and students is not always true,
and in reality, merit pay may be good for

Analysis Of Lincoln Electric Company Of Cleveland Ohio Usa...
Lincoln Electric Company of Cleveland Ohio USA`s organizational Culture is exceptional and has
earned it the acolade of being the best managed manufacturing company in the whole world. I will
explore and attempt to identify culture aspects of Lincoln Electric from several issues such as; the
continuing influence of founders of the company, the golden rule, the incentive management
plan,the performance appraisal system, how people communicate in the organization, the merit pay
plan, the bonus plan, and the management style.
Normally Founders instill the culture they want right from the beginning of their organizations. That
is exactly what John C Lincoln did when he established his company Lincoln Electric in 1895. He
stablished a culture of innovation and even left administrative burdens of the company to a brother,
James Lincoln, so he could focus on innovation. This streak has continued to date where Lincoln is
not afraid to experiment with new ideas .e.g. the cost saving feature of welding electrodes for
construction and equipment manufacturing. The electrode process at Lincoln remains a secretive
affair which won`t be divulged to outsiders.
According to the OCP framework on organizational culture innovative cultures are not fussy about
titles and flat in their structure that is they are less bureaucratic. This is the outlook at Lincoln where
even the President `s office in the plant is not even carpeted and the company has not had an
organizational chart for quite a

Teacher Merit Pay Essay example
July 21, 2011 Merit or Mistake In today's society one of the most important factors in selecting a
career field is rate of pay. No matter whether the profession maybe, the dollar figure must be within
a range that allows the employee to maintain a substantial lifestyle. The debate of teacher pay scales
has raged on for years. Many argue that the current pay scale for teachers is a scale which rewards
teachers merely for seniority. They argue that the current pay scale overlooks those educators which
demonstrate exceptional performance. Teacher merit pay systems have been the most popular
suggestions made to remedy the problems seen with the current pay scale. Although the current pay
scale may not be completely effective, the idea of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Hess. Merit pay systems create unhealthy competition between educators which should be working
together to ensure that the best possible educational is being given to every student. If one observes
an effective educational institution in operation, one will notice those institutions that are highly
rated are essentially partnerships between various educators with various teaching styles and
personalities teaming together to impart wisdom on young minds primed for educational molding.
The general concept behind merit pay systems makes this type of partnership unattainable. In an
article published in Education Week Kim Marshall stated that "When individuals are rewarded,
collaboration suffers". Educators become more concerned with outperforming their counter parts to
gain pay raises then working together to educate young minds. Those who are in favor of teacher
merit pay systems feel as though the use of this system can eliminate the possibility of seniority
outweighing high performance. They believe that those teachers in merit pay systems would be
made to perform better in the classroom and demonstrate great teaching skills. Although there is
some truth to this idea, it should not be accepted in the argument of teacher merit pay. In the
Christian Science Monitor Reg Weaver stated merit pay systems would warrant "an adherence to
some type of evaluative standard " This means that teacher evaluations would consists mainly of the
scores from

Busting Unions For Fighting Reform Policies
Busting Unions for Fighting Reform Policies In the early chapters of Special Interest Terry Moe
spends much of his energy in attacking the power of the teacher unions. He claims that teachers
unions are the heart of the problem when it comes to organization and reform (Moe, 2011, p. 20).
While Moe claims the NEA (National Education Association) and the AFT (American Federation of
Teachers) have historically lobbied against many reform programs, including voucher programs,
charter schools, and merit pay programs, there is also evidence where teachers' unions have
supported new reforms. They have introduced new charter schools and have based salaries on merit
pay programs. Former NEA president Bob Chase delivered a speech in 1997 claiming that the NEA
was on the forefront of education reform. He stated that the NEA invested 70 million dollars on
reform initiatives and sponsored six charter schools across the country (Chase, 1997, p. 372).
Educational policy makers should be in particular interest to these examples especially if they
believe in the effectiveness of reform programs. If policy makers understand the thinking behind
why the unions support or oppose reforms, better policies can be put in place. In addition, policy
makers in partnership with the teachers unions can work hand in hand to successfully coordinate
reforms in American education. Moe argues that the United States has struggled to meet the reform
challenge over the past quarter century specifically in the

The Golden Style Of The Lincoln Electric Company
The most–admired company
Lincoln Electric Company is an epitome of a well–run company with an outstanding record of
accomplishment in terms of productivity. This success has achieved by prioritizing the needs of its
employees. Even the group of stockholders will be the last order of priority of the company.
The company's philosophy has centered on Christian ideology. Lincoln Electric Company has an
astounding reputation of being generous company in terms of giving bonuses and other benefits,
which the company continues to embrace since the early beginnings of the company. Because of
that, it achieved tremendous success by properly motivating its employees. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Aside from it, this essay will enumerate the golden rules of the company, which I believe the core of
its success. This will base on the Case Study of Arthur Sharplin from Harvard University in 1989. In
the concluding part, I will describe based on what I learned from this case study about the kind of
management style does Lincoln Electric Company

Essay On Merit Pay
Implementation of merit pay can create a negative rivalry among teachers and districts. Because of
decreases in test scores, some schools have begun to offer merit pay as a way to refocus teachers on
the achievement of their students, with the hope of increasing the effectiveness of teachers
(Ciruczak A.11). The increase of performance pay became a high priority for the United States
Department of Education, especially after the Obama Administration allotted funds for a campaign
called Race to the Top, which distributed around $4.3 billion dollars to schools throughout the
country (Rosales). After the implementation of this program, feedback came pouring in. According
to Kristen Dechert, Mississippi State Research and Curriculum Unit ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Obviously, the results of the program have the opposite of the desired effect. Teachers cannot
continue abandon students in need and expect things to change. In reality, these evaluations are
hurting teachers so much that they base their effectivity solely on scores (Froese–Germain).
Oftentimes, evaluations undermine teamwork and collectivity among teachers, and on top of that,
the teachers are opposed to this method of computing compensation (Froese–Germain). Programs
that divide rather than unite need revamped or replaced, otherwise teachers' perception of
achievement will decrease, teamwork will fall apart, and entire districts will suffer.
Merit pay is unfair to special needs teachers due to the lack of equal opportunities for special
education teachers. Some people suspect that public schools enroll nondisabled students in special–
education plans simply because they are low achieving; this is generally an attempt to collect funds
from both the state and the federal governments (Horn, and Tynan 36–53). Many schools want to
increase test scores by not requiring special education students to take them – this is primarily
because they do not want the low scores to reflect badly (Tortora, and Whitmire). In San Antonio,
Texas, schools excluded their special education kids from testing, while Houston, Texas chose to
test as many as possible, and as

Merit Pay Study
During the late 2000s, the Obama administration promoted a new initiative targeting the American
education system known as the Race to the Top (RTT). As part of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the RTT Assessment Program aimed to provide funds targeted
towards a variety of assessments that would provide data on our schools. Data collected would
review a number of elements within the education system, especially student achievement across the
nation. When monetary gains are linked to performance, like in this case, school districts analyze
and identify how they can promote higher performances on mandated assessments. The answer
became a controversial one: merit pay. Merit pay will become the root of both positive ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Like the use of teacher evaluation tools like VAMs or standardized testing, the United States is
attempting to diagnose academic achievement through the use of standardized testing. As explained
by Gratz, "Standardized test scores accurately measure student achievement and [this] constitutes
for the full range of goals we have for students." (78). Disengaged politicians have taken the
forefront in determining what the expectations of the education system should be, but the actual
application falls

In A Meritocratic Age Analysis
Politician from all walks of life nowadays agree on one thing: we need to build more meritocratic
societies. That is, societies where everyone, no matter what their background is, has the chance to
succeed on their own merits. This is a beautiful idea responsible for some great things like free
education for all, and a real effort to end nepotism in business and government. We have largely
done away with the old world of feudalism where lords couldn't manage their estates, commanders
couldn't understand the principles of battle, and peasant were brighter than their masters. No longer
is background an impossible obstacle to advancement. An element of justice has finally entered into
the distribution of rewards. It's been going on for about two ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Fair targets of contempt in the eyes of self–made individuals who are disinclined to feel ashamed
about their mansions or shed crocodile tears for those whose company they have escaped. And in
my opinion, it's become possible to argue that the social hierarchy rigorously reflects the qualities of
the members on every steps of the ladder and so that conditions already in place for good people to
succeed and the dummies to flounder, attenuating the need for charity, welfare, or simple
compassion. It's a symptom of our great faith in meritocracy that it's largely become impossible to
explain away our failures as the result of bad

Organizational Culture at Lincoln Electric
Introduction:
Motley Fool (2013), a multimedia financial company named Lincoln Electric to be the eight best
companies in America. It is a phenomenal achievement to maintain the company's ranking for
several years. This implies that the organizational structure and culture should play a tremendous
role in the Company's continuous success and progress. This essay assess the assess the culture and
different trends followed at Lincoln Electric
Organizational Culture:
Business dictionary defines Organizational Culture as the 'values and behaviors that contribute to
the unique social and psychological environment of an organization'. It can also be seen as the
values that show people what is appropriate and what is not (Becker, 2006).
Lincoln Electric:
Founded in 1865 by John C. Lincoln, the company is known in today's world for its high worker
productivity. The secret behind this extra ordinary success lies in the company's founding
philosophies and established policies over the year. The term 'Organizational Culture' was not even
in practice when the company established its unique policies like reducing working hours, paid up
life insurance, health benefits, social activities, paid vacations, and the pension plans. These
measures not only motivated the employees but also helped build trust and partisanship. In Charles
G. Herbruck's words "... these were expressions of mutual respect for each person's importance for
the job to be done." It can be assumed that Lincoln Electric

Merit Pay Demise Essay
The dispute surrounding merit pay for teachers has existed for decades in many countries across the
globe. The debate has been particularly heated in the United States. Since the 1920s, public schools
began awarding pay mostly according to title, and seniority rather than merit. Numerous attempts
have been made to introduce merit pay systems throughout this period, but it never gained
widespread popularity on a national level. Now, however, political leaders such as Barack Obama
have supported merit pay for teachers. This has reinvigorated the debate, with many groups falling
on either side. The National Education Association, for example, has opposed merit pay, while the
United Federation of Teachers supports the idea. Merit pay ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
99). One of the main issues with merit pay for teachers is found in the manner in which it is
measured. Most of the new performances pay laws and union contracts measure "effectiveness," at
least in part, by looking at the students' test scores from one year to the next. One test score cannot
paint a full picture of a student's accomplishment. Most teachers will report that a test will only
show part of the picture. Standardized tests do not reflect life lessons, effective citizen traits, or
character building traits that were taught that year. All of these traits thrive in an effective teacher's
curriculum. Following this further, this form of measurement leads to, yet another, pitfall, such as
creating a narrowed curriculum (Ramirez, 2010, p. 56). Teachers may perhaps start teaching "to the
test". This unnatural, narrow curriculum may diminish the American education system's progress.
Do we want our children being educated as robots? As a teacher in training, I am instructed that we
are to not only teach for academic success, but to bestow tools to generate well rounded effective
citizens. Another problem found in the merit pay program is, teachers have

Dieting Makes People Fat Essay
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DOLL? For me, my favorite doll is "stitch". Stitch,aka experiment
626, is one mischievous alien!. Thankfully, he has Lilo around to calm him down. Maybe someday
he'll know the different between good or bad.I really love him . Lilo & Stitch is a 2002
American animated science fiction/family film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and
released on June 21, 2002. Kullasatree 010 3EN WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DRINK? I love to
drink strawberry yogurt smoothie about 2–3 times per week. You have to try out this quick and easy
recipe for a healthy and delicious strawberry smoothie.You can add some ground flax seeds and a
banana for some extra nourishment and a tablespoon of raw honey for sweetness. Ingredients: ...
Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
11.Do not be a couch potato. These are very simple tips people can follow. You need not do
everything mentioned here. Do as much as you can, and if you shed even 1–2 pounds in a week, you
will be very motivated to stretch yourself a little more to lose more weight. All these tips for weight
loss mentioned here do not cost you anything. In fact, it may cut your gas bill if you walk more!
Kullasatree 010 3EN WHAT KIND OF INSTRUMENT DO YOU LIKE? I really like guitar so
much but I can't play. Guitar is the best instrument for me. I try to practiced lots of time but I can't
play. Playing the guitar is an enjoyable endeavor especially when you do it with friends. Moreover,
it is both spiritually and socially rewarding as it gives you a sense of self–worth. However if I have
my own guitar, I will practice everyday. Kullasatree 010 3EN WHAT KIND OF HERB DO YOU
LIKE? For me, I like Turmeric ("Kha–min" in Thai).Turmeric is a culinary spice, a major ingredient
in Indian curries, and the source of American mustard's bright yellow color. Used as both medicine
and food for centuries, accumulating evidence suggests that this relative of ginger is a promising
preventive agent for a wide range of diseases, probably due largely to its anti–inflammatory
properties. Curcumin is the chief active component of turmeric, and is usually taken as a
supplement. Research indicates that: 1.Curcumin seems to delay liver damage in some instances that
can eventually

Merit Pay For American Colleges And Universities
A Review of Merit Pay in American Colleges and Universities
Introduction
American colleges and universities employ an impressive number of people in a wide–range of
occupations. While universities have a number of goals and interests, the general assumption among
most individuals is that universities have the sole purpose of teaching students and preparing them
for success in the world. Given this line of thinking, one would be led to believe that professors and
other academic instructors hold the majority of positions within an institution, but this would be
incorrect. While the faculty do serve a critical function, their service to the students would not be
possible without the various support services that exist throughout a college campus. To ensure
these services are set up and provide the resources necessary to ensure the university is successful in
its mission, colleges require a large number of employees, all working under unique job titles and
classifications, to take on the responsibilities that come with working in an industry that generated
more than $124 billion in 2001 alone (Lowenstein, 2001). A review of the human resources' website
of a college or university shows the diversity of jobs and positions within a university. These
positions range from the seemingly obscure accountant, office manager, or plumber, to the
traditional academic advisor, professor, and higher–level administration. As different as these
positions may appear, they typically can be

Taking a Look at the Lincoln Electric Company
Lincoln Electric Company
From the Harvard Case Study by Arthur Sharplin,it is clearly indicated that Lincoln Electric
Company is the world's largest manufacturer of welding machines and electrodes.This company
employs about 2,400 workers in its U.S factories and around 600 workers in three of its factories in
other countries. Continuing influence of founders.
The the founders of this company had the spirit of innovation .John Lincoln who was the main
founder of this company,remained the president but dedicated most of his energy on his innovative
job.This innovative attitude still can clearly been seen in the comany's activities.From the paper,it
can be found that all manufacturing are in line with the latest innovation.James F.Lincoln also
brought in Advisory Board which meet with the Chief Executive Officer twice a month.This policy
is still practice in the company.
The founders of Lincoln Electric did not put any organizational chart.The aim being to insure
maximum flexibility.Therefore an open door policy is practice and personnels are encourage to take
problems to any related person who can effect solution faster and effectively.Here,it will be true to
say that routine inspection does not exist with Lincoln Company as employees are all enthusiastic
about their jobs. Th Golden rule
With the Lincoln company,its attitude toward customers is very clear and very important as James
F.Lincoln saw the customer's needs as the d'entre for

Merit Pay For Performance Plan
Executive Summary Merit pay is a short–term, pay–for–performance plan, with a typical life span
of three to four years, in which employers provide rewards, usually in terms of a raise for past
performance, for employees who perform their jobs effectively, which will lead to higher
performing employees which will in turn lead to a better work environment and higher overall
productivity. The concept of merit pay is most often mentioned in the context of educational and/or
government civil service reform. With a merit–based pay system, the employer pays, with the idea
that the employer will reward more productive employees with merit increases. This concept came
about in an attempt to sustain high performance levels in the workplace linking merit increases, or
increases in base pay, to employee performance ratings, which are taken at the end of a performance
year, usually by a direct supervisor. Due to the ever increasing changes of supply and demand in
business, in order to remain feasible, the merit pay system is expected to change consistently with
the needs presented to the companies, whether it be foreign competition, consumer demands,
producer limitations, etc. Pay–for–performance plans are formal compensation systems that are
directly related to organizational or individual performance. The United States Department of Labor
defined pay–for–performance as a raise in pay based on a set of criteria put in place by employers,
and notes that the Fair Labor Standards Act,

Merit Pay Demise Essay examples
The dispute surrounding merit pay for teachers has existed for decades in many countries across the
globe. The debate has been particularly heated in the United States. Since the 1920s, public schools
began awarding pay mostly according to title, and seniority rather than merit. Numerous attempts
have been made to introduce merit pay systems throughout this period, but it never gained
widespread popularity on a national level. Now, however, political leaders such as Barack Obama
have supported merit pay for teachers. This has reinvigorated the debate, with many groups falling
on either side. The National Education Association, for example, has opposed merit pay, while the
United Federation of Teachers supports the idea. The modern day ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
A 2007 national survey of teachers by the nonprofits Public Agenda and the National
Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality found that, if given an option between two otherwise
identical schools, 76% of secondary teachers and 81% of elementary teachers would rather be at a
school where administrators supported teachers strongly than at a school that salaried significantly
higher salaries (Toch, 2009, p. 99). One of the main issues with merit pay for teachers is found in
the manner in which it is measured. Most of the new performances pay laws and union contracts
measure "effectiveness," at least in part, by looking at the students' test scores from one year to the
next. One test score cannot paint a full picture of a student's accomplishment. Teachers unions have
historically opposed merit pay, arguing that test scores are not an accurate measure of student
achievement (Turner, 2010, para 15). Most teachers will report that a test will only show part of the
picture. Standardized tests do not reflect life lessons, effective citizen traits, or character building
traits that were taught that year. All of these traits thrive in an effective teacher's curriculum.
Following this further, this form of measurement leads to, yet another, pitfall, such as creating a
narrowed curriculum (Ramirez, 2010, p. 56). Teachers may perhaps start teaching "to the test". This
unnatural, narrow curriculum may diminish

The Importance Of Merit Pay
In the Merriam Webster's dictionary, a teacher is defined as "one that teaches; especially: one whose
occupation is to instruct." Teachers are people who decide to teach students, as a career. There is no
such thing as a bad teacher, just poor quality teaching. So why are teachers so resentful with their
job if they chose that job to begin with? There can be various factors that contribute to the lack of
motivation that teachers may have. To increase motivation an incentive was created and applied in
the early 1980s (Podgursky) which was the merit pay. There have been studies on whether this
incentive is effective. Students around the country are still receiving poor quality education. Being a
future educator, I believe that there is a better way to raise pay for teachers because merit pay is
unfair. Although some advocators for merit pay suggest that this method will provide a goal for
teachers to effectively teach, they have not considered various factors such as the students, their
environment and what they learn apart from school lessons. Merit pay is an unfair incentive that will
not take into consideration what teachers teach apart from lesson plans, lead to a more strict
approach a new curriculum, and create a hostile environment for teachers and their students.
According to the United States Department of Labor (DOL) they stated "merit pay, also known as
pay–for–performance, is defined as a raise in pay based on a set of criteria set by the employer...
Merit pay is a

The Lincoln Electric Company's Culture
In 1989, Arthur Sharplin produced a case study, Sharplin (1989), outlining the organizational
structure and culture of the Lincoln Electric Company. This report will be focused on analyzing
Sharplin's case study to discern aspects of the Lincoln Electric Company's culture. First, we will
discuss John & James Lincoln and their influence on the development of the culture of the company.
We will discuss their Christian influence, and how applying the golden rule of doing to others as
you would have them do to you, helped them shape their company. Additionally, we will discuss the
company performance appraisal system, the way people communicate in the company, the merit pay
plan, the bonus plan, and finally, the management style. After ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
An example from Sharplin's research is Lincoln's policy to "at all times price on the basis of cost
and at all times keep pressure on our cost..." Clearly, this is giving the customer what they wanted.
Another example from Sharplin's research is the fact that the Lincoln Electric Company hasn't had a
layoff since 1949! Lincoln identified early on that, "The greatest fear of the worker... is lack of
income." By providing job security and great wages, Lincoln was able to give his employees what
they wanted. Even stockholders, despite being listed by James as least important, still benefited
from James' strategy because taking care of customers and employees first naturally increased the
company's profitability. Increased profitability is what every stockholder wants.
Sharplin found that the Lincoln Electric Company completed performance evaluations twice a year
using merit rating scores that would normally range between 80 – 100. Scores were based on ratings
in the categories, Quality, Dependability, Ideas & Cooperation, and Output. This gives employees
and managers two formal times a year that they can communicate issues and

The Lincoln Electric Company Case Study Essay
There are plenty of reasons why Lincoln Electric Company (LEC) is successful, and a big one that
people usually credit the success to is the way it's managed. While reading the Lincoln Electric
Company Harvard Case Study by Arthur Sharplin, we learned a lot about the echo of the founder's
philosophies still very present in the company, we looked at the highly rewarding merit pay plan,
and we learned about LEC's authoritarian management style. There are plenty more reasons why
LEC has been so successful over the years but these three are mostly responsible for the
productivity, efficiency, morale, and overall satisfaction of the factory level employees and all the
way up to the President's office. A lot of people thought that once Mr. James Lincoln (better known
as 'Jimmy Sr.') died in 1965 that the company would stop succeeding. People thought profits would
drop, philosophies would be out of use, and the company would stop following Lincoln's system
that had led them so far. Opposite to that happened. Employee turnover rate became extremely low
because of care to the employees and a well thought up management team. Employee productivity
stayed at the standard that was established because Lincoln's bonuses stayed with the company even
when he had left it The company seemed 'stronger than ever'. In addition to these standards, Lincoln
also thought that the company should finance new locations through earnings made at LEC, not
through loans or borrowing. This philosophy could

The Merits Of Teacher Performance Pay
THE MERITS OF TEACHER PERFORMANCE PAY IN KENYA
Introduction
This paper discusses the merits of performance pay for teachers in Kenya. I argued here that
remuneration reforms for civil service teachers will achieve production efficiency. This paper has
three main sections. Section 1 gives a brief description of the scheme of service for teachers in
Kenya. Section 2 highlights the economic case in favour of teacher salaries and identifies the
government failures in ensuring teacher effectiveness.
Section 3 offers a criticism of teacher performance pay as a reform strategy in determining teacher
efficiency in Kenyan public schools. This section further delves into the issues that affect effective
teacher performance pay systems and reflect ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The salary system is in ascending order in the scale of eleven job groups. The highest paid teacher,
chief principal (job group R) is at grade 11.The lowest paid teacher, a P2 (job group F) is at grade 1.
In addition to the basic salary, teachers are paid allowances with allocations relative to the job group
standing, this include; house allowance, commuter allowance, medical allowance, responsibility
allowances. Teachers are entitled to an automatic annual salary increase of about 4% for every year
of service (Teachers Service Commission, 2012 p 1–24). Duflo et al (2012), elaborates on teacher
recruitment and salaries in Kenya; illustrates the central role played by the Teachers Service
Commission in teacher management and trade –union representation is highlighted to show how the
wage system works (Duflo et al, 2012). Michael and Mathew (2007) underscore that salary schemes
for teachers are almost a worldwide characteristic of public schools. They rely on data from national
surveys that indicate that 100% of teachers in public schools are paid using a pay set salary system
(Michael and Mathew, 2007).
Glazerman et al, (2011) argue that the single salary system was created to address equity issues and
has spread over the globe, where teachers regularly get paid based on qualification and experience
as opposed to the measure of teacher effectiveness and their students results. (Glazerman et al, 2011;

Pros And Cons Of Merit Pay
Merit Pay The controversy of the merit pay system has been a highly contentious discussion in the
field of education, most notably in my school district. As stated in the Education Commission of the
United States, merit pay is pay for performance where a teacher's compensation is tied to the
performance in the classroom (2010). While merit pay for classroom teachers has been around for
decades, it is increasingly becoming an issue around the country. As seen in my district, the issue
has become a non–negotiable topic as the district is negotiating a new contract with the teacher's
union. The district's proposal to include it in the new contract in order to improve student outcomes,
attract new, highly qualified teachers to the district, and retain the proficient teachers already
employed in the schools. The political influence increased when President Barack Obama
introduced the Race to the Top Initiative. As stated in Howell & Magazinnik, the Race to the Top
Initiative was created to stimulate the adoption of education reforms in the state governments of
education (2017). The debate has been ongoing surrounding the pros and cons of merit pay with
both supporters and opposition. The merit pay system will continue to have legal implications for
school leaders as it impacts the rights of teachers, but the impact on student achievement. I support
merit pay as it is prescribed to tie teacher performance to pay increases.
History of Merit Pay Historically,

The Use Of Merit Pay And Incentives Essay example
The Use of Merit Pay and Incentives
The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of Merit Pay and Incentives as motivators for
increased productivity. The key focus is the system at
Richmond Memorial Hospital. To do so, one must begin at the beginning.....
The use of financial incentives (financial rewards) paid to workers whose production exceeds some
predetermined standard was popularized by Frederick
Taylor in the late 1800s. As a supervisory employee of the Midvale Steel
Company, he had become concerned with what he called "systematic soldiering".
This was the tendency of employees to work at the slowest pace possible and the fact that some of
these same workers still had the energy to run home and work on their cabins, ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Sooner or later, one has to rest...and so it goes. But, do note that a number of needs or motivators
may be "acting" at the same time. In hospital settings, especially those that are
undergoing restructuring needs are highly varied. The same employee who is driven by a salary
motivator may now be driven by a long term security need as a motivator
(REFERENCES??).
Many times, if one is given a bonus for a job well done, the money is not the motivator, but the
recognition is. Initial motivation can occur with the use of bonus or profit sharing. However since
bonuses and other such incentive compensations occur perhaps as little as once a year, there must be
other motivators at work to get an individual to work towards established goals. This is an important
concept which must be understood in order to have any incentive compensation system work for the
company and individuals (REFERENCES???).
Implementing pay for performance plans, good management, and incentive plans will motivate
personnel to perform at the peak levels necessary to bring about improvement in the bottom line
which is what interests most corporations
(REFERENCE?).
With flatter organizations, and in most cases fewer employees, companies need to motivate their
remaining employees to make a value–added contribution, take ownership, and be held accountable
for their work (REFERENCE?).
Historically, employees have been rewarded with increased base pay,

Essay about Exploring the Possibility of Merit Pay for...
President Obama's recommendations for the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act of
2001 (NCLB) and his education plan include provisions to award merit pay to teachers in an attempt
to obtain and retain effective teachers as measured by student academic achievement. These
proposals are supported by budgeted funding for the 2011 fiscal year with additional funding
included in the optional, competitive 1.35 billion Race to the Top Fund. A number of different merit
pay systems exist. Some reward entire schools or districts when passing rates on standardized tests
are achieved, while others reward individual teachers for passing rates. Some rely on peer or
administrator evaluations and staff development as additional ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Students in economically disadvantaged schools are more likely to have teachers rated in the bottom
quartile for teacher effectiveness as measured by raising student achievement (Education Equality
Project, 2010).
Previous Attempts at Merit Pay Traditionally, efforts to obtain effective teachers have focused
primarily upon raising the entry bar via credential, licensure, or certification requirements. However,
research has consistently demonstrated that credentials, licensure, and advanced degrees are of little
value in predicting teacher effectiveness (Education Equality Project, 2010; Green & Forster, 2008).
The use of merit pay to obtain, retain, and affect student achievement is a lesser used, but not
unknown, methodology. In the 1920s, 40 to 50 percent of all urban school districts adopted a merit
pay plan. Interest waned and then resurfaced in the 1950s and, by 1960; one in ten public schools
adopted a form of merit pay. Interest declined in the 1970s and rose again in the 1980s, and in 2010.
Prior to the 1980s, research was primarily focused upon the difficulty experienced in defining and
measuring quality teaching (Cohen and Murnane, 1985). Due to the inability to find reliable and
valid definitions and measures of teacher quality, staff dissatisfaction and dissension was
experienced when using merit pay plans (Murnane & Cohen, 1986). In addition,

The Legacy Of The Lincoln Electric Company
The Lincoln Electric Company, located near Cleveland, Ohio, USA, is one of the world's
largest welding machines and electrodes manufacturers. It is a company with a distinctive
organization culture and not only is it one of the world's largest, but also is considered to be one
of the best managed manufacturing companies in the world. By taking a closer look at the
ongoing influence of the founders of the company, the golden rule, the incentive management
plan, the performance appraisal system, the way people communicate within the company, the
merit pay plan, the bonus plan, and the management style it is clear to see that the Lincoln
Electric Company is indeed a very well–run organization due to its unique and diacritical ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Also, a welding school was started in 1917, and continues to provide
educational services to today. Furthermore, an employees' association was formed in 1919 in
order to provide health benefits and social activities to employees. This association is still active
today and has accounted for several functions over the years and will continue to do so.
The Lincoln Electric Company was founded based on Christian principles and James
Lincoln believed that every action be motivated by Christian ethics. Although, James Lincoln
held such strong Christian beliefs, there is no evidence that he tried to preach the Christian
gospel to his employees, customers, or even the public. Even today, in recent interviews, the
current senior executives do not talk about the Christian gospel message. The motto of the
company is, "The actual is limited, the possible is immense", which actually has nothing to do

with Christian beliefs. The company motto is very fitting and correlates well with the
organizational culture of the company. The Lincoln Electric Company believes heavily on
incentives and production based compensation, therefore, adding to its belief that the possible is
indeed immense. Adding to this, even advancement in the company is based more on merit and
production than the amount of time that one has been at the company. In an interview conducted
with Ed Sanderson, one of the company's employees, Ed says that,

Merit Pay, History Repeated
The Human Resource Manager and Pay for Performance: Knowing First Cindy Pilch–EDAD 5600
University of Wyoming This paper will examine the history of pay for performance in education,
the research on incentives and the pros and cons of using incentives. It will also explain how the
accountability movement in education has resulted in increased pressure on HR personnel to
incentivize teachers. Over the last two centuries research shows varying degrees of initiation of
merit pay. The 21st century has the pendulum swaying back toward the idea of finding a way to
incent teachers for student achievement. Gratz ( 2005) discusses merit pay and performance pay
being used synonymously and over a long period of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
They also looked at traditional public schools, charter, private and nonreligious regular schools to
identify if the use of a traditional salary schedule was prevalent. Over 90% of traditional schools use
some form of schedule versus charter–62.2%, private–65.9%, and nonreligious regular schools–
45.1%. Summarizing Podursky et. al. (2007), it was concluded from the data ranging from 1999–
2000 that private and charter schools had a significantly higher use of performance pay bonuses. It
is clarified that because these studies were short lived the overall determinations of effectiveness lie
within motivation and not in sorting of teachers effectiveness. Podursky et. al. (2007) discussed the
comparison of teacher performance on evaluations conducted by the principal to student
achievement. It was concluded, "Research literature to date and particularly the recent work by
Jacobs and Lefgren show that subjective evaluations of teacher performance are valid measures of
teacher effectiveness as measured by student achievement gains." (p. 562). Principal evaluations
reflecting low stakes were used to acquire these results. The question still remains if these types of
evaluations will continue to be of value in a merit based system. Also would a principal who would
normally give a teacher a lower performance score, under regular circumstances–non–high stakes
evaluations, do the same if it were

Module 7 Action Inquiry Essay Merit Pay
Running head: ACTION INQUIRY RESEARCH PAPER– MERIT PAY Action Inquiry Research
Paper– School Finance Jennifer Ponton Grand Canyon EDA 535 July 01, 2012 Action Inquiry
Research Paper– School Finance Statement of the Problem This past spring thousands of teachers
protested at the Louisiana State Capital to prevent Louisiana lawmakers from passing an educational
reform bill proposed by Governor Bobby Jindall that would change the face of public education in
Louisiana forever. Many superintendents and school personnel were relieved of their professional
responsibilities on the days they protested hoping that they could sway the governor and the
lawmakers from passing the bill. The bill was passed even without the support of ... Show more
Merit pay is a term describing performance related pay. Its primary focus is used for helping
teachers improve their performance by learning from each other. Merit Pay can take the form of a
bonus or a permanent teacher salary increased. This motivates many teachers because they believe
they are being evaluated more fairly than traditional evaluation. Merit pay is important to study
because it's a one of the most controversial issue in the field of education and it does have an effect
on school finance in the future. We should be concerned about using merit pay in our school system
because most professions offer bonuses and salary increases for their exemplary employees why
should the education profession be any different? Shouldn't we try and use incentives as we do with
our students to motivate teachers to give their very best in educating our future leaders of tomorrow.
Merit pay will recruit and retain some of the nation's brightest mind. Many people who have the
capability to teach our students refused to do so due to teacher pay but with merit pay many of these
individuals may consider working in the education profession. Relation to the Problem to the
Specialization Merit Pay is a topic of investigation because even though it rewards great teachers
many lawmakers, educators, and teacher's union are opposed to it.

Persuasive Essay On Merit Pay
Merit pay can has the potential to create negative rivalries among teachers decrease their perceived
value. Due to a decrease in test scores, some schools began to offer merit pay as a way to refocus
teachers on the achievement of their students, with the hope of increasing the effectiveness of
teachers (Ciruczak A.11). The increase of performance pay became a high priority for the United
States Department of Education, especially after the Obama Administration allotted funds for a
campaign called Race to the Top, which distributed around $4.3 billion dollars to schools
throughout the country (Rosales). After the implementation of this program, feedback came pouring
in. According to Kristen Dechert, Mississippi State Research and Curriculum Unit employee,
teachers began basing their worth on their pay, "the finding we had was that (the bonuses) . . .
affected their personal morale – they felt more or less valued than other teachers in their building"
(Ciruczak A.11). Despite these efforts, merit pay could produce the opposite effect and decrease the
willingness of individual teachers to perform well (Froese–Germain). In an attempt to eliminate
such problems, some schools have taken steps in an alternate direction. Districts in Helena, Montana
decided to allot funds for professional development, and chosen to eliminate test scores as a basis
for pay (Rosales). For them, a major factor is service to the school district and to the community
(Rosales). Since many teachers

The Importance Of Merit Pay In Education
Teaching is a designed for incoming learners to create an in–depth relationship between the teacher
and the student according to H. C. Morrison. Teachers are people who decide to teach students, as a
career. There is no such thing as a bad teacher, just poor quality teaching. So why are teachers so
resentful with their job if they chose that job to begin with? There can be various factors that
contribute to the lack of motivation that teachers may have. To increase motivation an incentive was
created and applied in the early 1980s (Podgursky pp. 3) which is the merit pay. There have been
studies on whether this incentive is effective. Students around the country are still receiving a poor
quality education. Being a future educator, I believe that there is a better way to raise pay for
teachers because merit pay is unfair. Although some advocates for merit pay suggest that this
method will give a goal for teachers to effectively teach, they have not considered various factors
such as the students, their environment and what they learn apart from school lessons. Merit pay is
an unfair incentive that will not consider what teachers teach apart from lesson plans, lead to a more
strict approach a new curriculum, and create a hostile environment for teachers and their students.
According to the United States Department of Labor (DOL), "merit pay, also known as pay–for–
performance, is defined as a raise in pay based on a set of criteria set by the employer... Merit pay is
a matter

Benefits Of Merit Pay System
Teachers have an important role in shaping the kids of our future, to which they are not given
enough credit for. Compared to how much teachers give, they are not given the amount of
recognition and reward they truly deserve. Teachers are paid solely based on how many years they
have been working and their credentials. Because of this, the teaching profession may not be of
interest or is undermined by other professions: "A January report revealed that relatively low pay,
high turnover rates that result in little mentorship of young teachers, and a growing workload in an
increasingly underappreciated job are turning people away from the classroom," (A.D. 2015). In an
effort to promote teaching, many institutions have suggested merit pay, paying teachers bonuses
based on how well their students perform. Some argue that merit pay will also help motivate
teachers to work harder. However, others argue that merit pay will only create more problems.
Whether or not a merit pay system should be used has been an ongoing debate for many years.
Teachers should not be paid based on a merit system because it will create more dishonesty about
results and competition between teachers. The idea of a merit pay system is pleasant, but acting on it
is the difficult part. Results from standardized tests and classroom observations are used to measure
the effectiveness of the teaching, which are not always true representations of success: "By year
two, nearly all the schools in the study were

Merit Pay For Teachers Essay
Is Merit Pay For Teachers The Answer ? Merit Pay for teachers should not be allowed in today's
school systems and policies within education. Merit Pay is a system of compensation that is based
on performance and results instead of time spent (Arthur, 2017.) This method can improve
performance in some cases, but it also leads to problems in others (Arthur, 2017.) Merit Pay for
teachers should not be allowed because it is unaffordable, creates unnecessary pressure, leads to
competition among colleagues, and encourages "teaching to the test." First, Merit Pay for teachers is
unaffordable. It is extremely expensive to implement a performance based compensation system
(Admin, 2000.) In some districts, there is not enough money in the budget to buy paper, how can
you justify teachers' performance based compensation when there is not even enough money to buy
paper? (Dunstan, 2005, Pg.7.) There will never be enough money in the merit pot to make it
worthwhile (Arthur, 2017.) If spending needs to be cut, merit pay increases will never be (Arthur,
2017.) Providing the mentoring and evaluation systems that a comprehensive merit pay system
would be a ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Performance based compensation forces teachers to work harder for more pay, but the extra pay is
often not sufficient for the extra work required (Arthur, 2017.) With Merit Pay compensation
employees are only focused on the results and not on the means by which these results are achieved
(Arthur, 2017.) When employees are worried that they will not get a paycheck or that they may not
be able to pay their bills unless performance is up, it can sometimes negatively affect performance
(Admin, 2000.) Some employees do not work well under pressure , and this can have a negative
effect on the company overall (Freakonomics, 2011.) Also professionalization, raising salaries and
creating expanded roles for teachers adds to an already demanding schedule (Freakonomics,

Merit Pay Case Study
School districts all over the country has instituted merit pay into their programs in various programs.
A widely discussed state is in Denver, Colorado where its voters in 2005 approved a $25 million
funding boost in teacher pay. Under this plan, one of the factors that can increase a teacher's pay is
additional coursework and advanced degrees received by the teacher. In San Francisco, a new plan
that has been implemented is pay increase for teachers at a hard to staff school. Since it is a new
plan, there hasn't been an official analysis of it yet. plan, which has not produced sufficient data or
analysis as of yet. In New York, two districts have merit pay type plans which are pretty similar and
are not for achieving certain goals rather than

The Legacy Of Lincoln Electric Company Culture
Lincoln Electric Company Culture
In 1906 John C. Lincoln incorporated his business East Cleveland, Ohio forming what we know
today as the Lincoln Electric Company. Though the company started out as a relatively small
operation, it is now one of the largest producers of welding Machines and electrodes. Branching out
from Cleveland, Ohio the company now has more factories in U.S. as well as in other countries. The
company's success has be attributes to several different factors, one of which is the company's
unique culture.
Founder's Influence
An organization's culture can be defined as "the system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs
that show people what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior". Lincoln's culture has with stood
the test of time. The current business culture's roots can be traced back to its founder's younger
brother. James F. Lincoln was the figurehead of the company in the 1900's assuming the titles of
General Manger and Vice–President. It was James who helped mold the company philosophy. His
Christian principles and facilitation of multiple incentive and employee lead programs had a
profoundly lasting effect on the company even after his death. In his wake he left a mix of business
culture types/practices and artifacts to demonstrate those early principles and vision; that make up
Lincoln's highly effective organizational culture profile.
Outcome–Oriented Culture One dimension of Lincoln Electric Company is its emphasis on results
and unlimited

Salary and Merit Pay Essay
e– Compensation Viola Alston Dr. Jamie Brown HRM 520 Information Systems March 11, 2012 1.
Assess the advantages and disadvantages of using a Web–based compensation tool verses a client–
server based or stand–alone PC based system and then give your opinion on which system would
provide the most value to an organization's stakeholders. Include three (3) facts to support your
opinion. After assessing the advantages and disadvantages of using a Web–based compensation tool
verses a client–server based, and a stand–alone PC system my results are as followed. In my
opinion, a client– server would be the best system to use for an organization; verses the Web–based
and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Recognizing and rewarding high–performance is a key recommendation for any approach when
managing any merit pay program (HRIS 2012). Merit pay is a compensation system where base pay
increases and is determined by an individual's performance. Using a merit pay plan is a good way
for an organization to reward high performance is one benefit when using merit pay programs. The
first step in implementing or improving a merit pay program is to have a solid performance
management program, and this is another way a merit pay program is beneficial. Merit pay is a way
to be successful and effectively implement merit pay with a uplift in salaries, and this is a third way
using a merit pay program is beneficial to an organization. There are some drawbacks when using
merit pay programs, such as paying some employees more than others. If you pay high–performing
workers more than low– performing employees, the high– performers may stay, causing the low–
performers to complain or leave the organization. A second drawback in using merit pay program is
that employees become less motivated if not paid to their satisfaction. For example, if employees
feel they should be making more money for their performance, this causes them to have low self
esteem, and want to find employment at other organization. The last drawback associated with

Merit Pay For Teachers And Teachers
Merit Pay for Teachers President Barack Obama said in a recent speech that "The future belongs to
the nation that best educates its citizens ... It is time to give all Americans a complete and
competitive education" (Stout). His first point has become evident over time. The nations that best
educate their children will have power in the future. He also mentions giving Americans a
competitive education. This is referring to implementing a form of merit pay for teachers; paying
bonuses to a teachers' salary based on their performance, and that of their students. Some states have
already started using merit pay programs. Merit pay encourages teachers to work harder at assisting
their students in learning. Replacing the current public education system with a merit–based system
would rid the education community of bad teachers. It would attract a higher achieving work force
to teaching and encourage overall improvement in schools. This would all lead to better teachers
and more student success in schools. Most public education systems currently use a matrix or grid to
decide how much money teachers are paid. Salaries are based almost purely on how many years
teachers have taught, and how much college education they have. This system does not take into
account how hard the teachers work, what kind of programs they teach, or how well they help
students succeed. Tom Luna, the Superintendent of Public Instruction in Idaho, said in an interview,
"[teachers] are paid based

Teachers Perception Of Merit Pay
Teacher perception of merit pay Over the years, the American schools have struggled with the issue
of educational reform due to accountability. Many teachers today, strongly believe they are
underpaid for the services they perform in American classrooms. Some states have developed a
merit system towards teacher's pay as incentive to boost teacher's morale and increase student's
achievement.The question that is posited, how bias is this system when it comes to teachers who
work in poverty stricken areas and schools that are at–risk. Those teachers are not equally capable of
increasing student achievement, as their counterparts in schools that are in areas that are more
affluent. Merit pay is defined as connecting the teacher's pay to the achievement

Merit Based Pay
Edmond Holmes, Great Britain's chief academic inspector, defined education in the era of merit–
based pay as the teacher involved "in laying thin films of information on the surface of the child's
mind, and then, after a brief interval, in skimming these off in order to satisfy himself that they have
been duly laid" (Nelson, 2001). Holmes referred to this type of recall as being "the equivalent of
food which its recipient has not been allowed to digest".
In 1918, 48 percent of U.S. public school districts described their payment systems as "merit based."
But "merit" was subjective: White men were paid more than minorities and women, a disparity that
eventually fueled a movement toward a uniform pay scale. Two years after women won the vote, the
first uniform pay plans appeared in Denver, Colorado, and Des Moines, Iowa. By the 1950s, only 4
percent of U.S. school districts described themselves as merit based (Murnane & Cohen, 1986;
Protsik, 1996). ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In the early 1980s, when A Nation at Risk warned citizens with the prospect of "a rising tide of
mediocrity" threatening to overwhelm U.S. schools, President Reagan reestablished trials with
performance–based pay, with equally negative effects. Some schools experimented through the late
1980s with inducement programs based on merit, administration by aims, and career–ladder or
differentiated staffing tactics. Few such trials had run smoothly for long. Another set of experiments
emerged in the 1990s, wherein most were also based on career ladders, teacher expertise and
knowledge, or differentiated

Merit Pay Essay

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Featured

Featured (20)

Merit Pay Essay