The country's best teachers will be offered bonus pay under a budget plan announced by Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
"The forthcoming budget will deliver on our promise to invest in rewarding great teachers around the country," Ms Gillard told reporters at a Canberra primary school on Monday.
"We will design a system where teachers who are performing well can get additional pay and additional reward to recognise that great performance."
Advertisement: Story continues below The bonus pay will cost the commonwealth $425 million over the next four years and a total of $1.3 billion to 2018, the government says.
The first bonuses will be based on the 2013 school year and be paid in early 2014.
Bonuses will range from $5400 to $8100, depending on the teacher's experience.
Ms Gillard says an estimated 25,000 teachers, or around one in 10, will receive incentives under the scheme.
Schools Education Minister Peter Garrett said the government would consult widely with the education sector, school communities, education experts and non-government organisations on the scheme.
The Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership will work to develop a teaching performance management and principles system.
‘‘It’s likely we will be looking broadly at those factors that take place in a classroom,’’ Mr Garrett said.
‘‘Not only the kind of education achievements that teachers may be producing from their kids, but the kind of work they are doing in extra-curricular activities, the way in which they relate and co-operate with their colleagues and a range of other issues.’’
Mr Garrett said the government understood how important great teachers were ‘‘and we will recognise and reward them’’.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/top-teac ... z1LAvfv2OW
One that's sure to please dgs...
One that's sure to please dgs...
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: One that's sure to please dgs...
One can only hope that the bonuses will be based on some measurable criteria of performance, and not seniority. If so, I applaud the initiative. Money well spent.
The best compensation program would be to reward the top performers with increased annual compensation rather than bonuses.
Here in the Good Old U.S.A., the problems with such initiatives are many and are rooted in the obligation to "negotiate" with the Collective Bargaining Unit (union) to determine how the bonuses are distributed. This guarantees that it will not be related to quantitative results.
Of course it is regrettable to say, but the greater improvements in educational results would be brought about not by incentivizing excellence, but rather by making it possible to get rid of chronic poor performers. I read a study recently that concluded that removing the bottom five percent of teachers in any large district would improve outcomes more than other other single initiative.
The best compensation program would be to reward the top performers with increased annual compensation rather than bonuses.
Here in the Good Old U.S.A., the problems with such initiatives are many and are rooted in the obligation to "negotiate" with the Collective Bargaining Unit (union) to determine how the bonuses are distributed. This guarantees that it will not be related to quantitative results.
Of course it is regrettable to say, but the greater improvements in educational results would be brought about not by incentivizing excellence, but rather by making it possible to get rid of chronic poor performers. I read a study recently that concluded that removing the bottom five percent of teachers in any large district would improve outcomes more than other other single initiative.
Re: One that's sure to please dgs...
Here you go mate;
The payment -- varying from $8100 for experienced teachers to $5400 for those starting out -- would be based on NAPLAN test results, lesson observations and parental feedback.
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. It is an everyday part of the school calendar and has been since 2008.
NAPLAN tests the sorts of skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life, such as reading, writing, spelling and numeracy. The assessments are undertaken nationwide, every year, in the second full week in May.
NAPLAN is made up of tests in the four areas (or ‘domains’) of:
Reading
Writing
Language Conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation)
Numeracy.
NAPLAN tests skills in literacy and numeracy that are developed over time, through the school curriculum.
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: One that's sure to please dgs...
Oh, if you are a local Canberra teacher...
ACT teachers will be eligible for both ACT and Commonwealth pay bonuses if they display exemplary performance in the classroom.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday announced one in 10 Australian school teachers will receive a performance bonus of between $5400 and $8100 from 2014.
In today's ACT budget, ACT Education Minister Andrew Barr will also unveil the territory's new promotional scales which will pay six-figure salaries to some of the city's best teachers.
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/lo ... 50737.aspx
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: One that's sure to please dgs...
Malcom Gladwell wrote an interesting article on this: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008 ... t_gladwell
According to the research he reported on:
1. Students gain the equivalent of a 1/2 year of education when taught by a good teacher (compared to an average teacher).
2. Conversely, students lose the equivalent of a 1/2 year of education when taught by a bad teacher. Thus, the single biggest impact on education can come by getting rid of bad teachers, and trying to develop average teachers into better teachers, along with rewarding good teachers.
3. It is difficult if not impossible to predict who will be a good teacher, and things like an education degree or a masters in education do not correlate with teacher quality. As are result, the only way to end up with good teachers (or at least not have bad teachers) is make it easier to hire and fire teachers. [my editorial: would there be some inequities? Of course, welcome to everyone else's job world.]
According to the research he reported on:
1. Students gain the equivalent of a 1/2 year of education when taught by a good teacher (compared to an average teacher).
2. Conversely, students lose the equivalent of a 1/2 year of education when taught by a bad teacher. Thus, the single biggest impact on education can come by getting rid of bad teachers, and trying to develop average teachers into better teachers, along with rewarding good teachers.
3. It is difficult if not impossible to predict who will be a good teacher, and things like an education degree or a masters in education do not correlate with teacher quality. As are result, the only way to end up with good teachers (or at least not have bad teachers) is make it easier to hire and fire teachers. [my editorial: would there be some inequities? Of course, welcome to everyone else's job world.]
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oldr_n_wsr
- Posts: 10838
- Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2010 1:59 am
Re: One that's sure to please dgs...
I get a kick out of how here on Long Island the teachers are "giving back" their raises in order to help the districts out (aka lay off fewer teachers this year). If one reads between the lines they are giving up their raises but still get their "step increases" which are 2.5% every year. So they are still getting raises just under a different name.
When my companies said no raises, my salary remained as it was the previous years. I did not give up a raise but still mainatained a "step increase". WTF????
When my companies said no raises, my salary remained as it was the previous years. I did not give up a raise but still mainatained a "step increase". WTF????
Re: One that's sure to please dgs...
To me, it is remarkable that the spokespersons for teachers (union officials) always lament that (a) it is impossible to measure a teacher's performance strictly on academic results because of all the other factors (mainly arising out of the home and community) that are out of a teacher's control, and (b) it is "unfair" to rate a teacher based on test results.
Shouldn't the teachers' unions be in the forefront of devising ways of (a) measuring performance validly, and (b) creating tests that teachers agree are indicative of relevant learning.
Their unwillingness to engage these initiatives constructively speaks volumes about the sincerity of their claims of desiring the best education possible for The Children.
Shouldn't the teachers' unions be in the forefront of devising ways of (a) measuring performance validly, and (b) creating tests that teachers agree are indicative of relevant learning.
Their unwillingness to engage these initiatives constructively speaks volumes about the sincerity of their claims of desiring the best education possible for The Children.