Can we fairly evaluate teachers using student achievement (SB 4)?
Teachers in the US have long been paid the same regardless of the effectiveness of the teacher. Indeed, two teachers with the same amount of experience are paid about the same amount of money regardless of how effective or ineffective the teachers. This remains true today despite a large body of evidence and years of parents’ experiences in schools that tell us that some teachers are simply better than other teachers.
We know that in some professions (not nearly as many people believe), employees are paid based on their productivity and effectiveness, not necessarily on their years of experience. Since we know some teachers are more effective than others, common sense seems to dictate three policies to address this situation:
1) Grant tenure only to those teachers who are effective in improving student achievement;
2) Allow only effective teachers to remain tenured; and,
3) Release the least effective teachers during reductions in force.
Who could argue with such common sense proposals? They seem as American as apple pie. But these
