School teachers to be paid by performance

A close relative of mine is an excellent teacher. She could have taught wherever she wanted and has been offered jobs from good schools all over the city. She chose to teach a challenging school, as this is what she enjoyed most and also felt that she was doing 'her bit' as she said that children in more challenging schools deserve excellent teachers too. Should she be penalised because the children she teaches have challenging personal circumstances that are barriers to exam success?

This seems to be the ConDemners way of ensuring that the neediest will suffer the most again, being ConDemned to a life of hardship on the scrapheap with severely reduced opportunities for self-improvement. It is what I would expect from the Tories but NOT from the LibDems, shame on them.

A close relative of mine is an excellent teacher. She could have taught wherever she wanted and has been offered jobs from good schools all over the city. She chose to teach a challenging school, as this is what she enjoyed most and also felt that she was doing 'her bit' as she said that children in more challenging schools deserve excellent teachers too. Should she be penalised because the children she teaches have challenging personal circumstances that are barriers to exam success?

 

This seems to be the ConDemners way of ensuring that the neediest will suffer the most again, being ConDemned to a life of hardship on the scrapheap with severely reduced opportunities for self-improvement. It is what I would expect from the Tories but NOT from the LibDems, shame on them.

Why would she be penalised? She will still be an excellent teacher. ......... has it been announced that the performance will be judged on exam results?

I think those that are doing an excellent job ought to receive more pay than those that are not - and surely any decent head knows who his/hers good teachers are? As parents we certainly do.

An interesting question - Who actually grades a teacher as "good" ? Surely that would boil down to an opinion based on a ten minute observation in one lesson?

Who is to say that the opinion is correct ?

A little unfair to base a persons pay based on opinion I think !

Rather nice for those teaching in our leafy western suburbs, who engage with well motivated middle class pupils.

I can tell you've not been in many schools.

Why would she be penalised? She will still be an excellent teacher. ......... has it been announced that the performance will be judged on exam results?

 

I think those that are doing an excellent job ought to receive more pay than those that are not - and surely any decent head knows who his/hers good teachers are? As parents we certainly do.

I fear it will not be fairly judged and that those excellent teachers working in more challenging schools will be penalised.

Headteachers should know who their best teachers are but again, how will this work in principle? Is the increased pay going to come from school budgets? Where will the money come from? Docking pay from other teachers? Employing more non teachers on the cheap to do teaching roles?

How do parents define a good teacher? I know who my son's best teachers have been and the worst, but I'm not sure all parents do recognise this easily. When parents are governors, they don't always recognise excellence and rubbish when they're confronted with it.

When Mr Osborne talks about performance related pay, he is using the word in the sense of the ringmaster talking about performing seals.

An interesting question - Who actually grades a teacher as "good" ? Surely that would boil down to an opinion based on a ten minute observation in one lesson?

 

Who is to say that the opinion is correct ?

 

A little unfair to base a persons pay based on opinion I think !

Surely any manager would observe their staff for more than 10 minutes a year!

---------- Post added 05-12-2012 at 19:32 ----------

I can tell you've not been in many schools.

I thought that too !

Presumably if it was announced that those in challenging schools would be paid more, the OP would be all for it then.

Presumably if it was announced that those in challenging schools would be paid more, the OP would be all for it then.

Now, there's a good idea.

I fear it will not be fairly judged and that those excellent teachers working in more challenging schools will be penalised.

 

Headteachers should know who their best teachers are but again, how will this work in principle? Is the increased pay going to come from school budgets? Where will the money come from? Docking pay from other teachers? Employing more non teachers on the cheap to do teaching roles?

 

How do parents define a good teacher? I know who my son's best teachers have been and the worst, but I'm not sure all parents do recognise this easily. When parents are governors, they don't always recognise excellence and rubbish when they're confronted with it.

As a parent I define a good teacher as one who engages with the pupils - making a subject come alive for them........not doling out worksheets and constantly needing the support of other teachers to control a class.