A recent example showing how the precarious position that teachers salaries and salary bonuses (stipends) teeters upon the will and good graces of politicians surfaced in Florida.
In Florida, teachers were promised stipends if they went through the expense and ordeal of becoming nationally certified.
Here is what it takes to become a Nationally Certified Teacher…
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National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)
NBPTS Assessment
NBPTS Fee Schedule ($2,565.00 USD)
Note: Some Florida school districts did reimburse teachers for the hefty NBPTS assessment fees
But, hard to come by, harder to hold; Florida teachers that took the extra classes and paid for the certification exam, are being short changed. (What else is new?)
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From the St. Petersburg Times…
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/11/13/Hernando/A_plum_for_6_who_teac.shtml
From The Ledger…
http://www.theledger.com/article/20071216/NEWS/712160423
And sometimes, teachers fork over large amounts of cash (and spend valuable personal time) studying to earn additional certifications.
When the promise to give teachers more pay for certifications meets reality, someone is certain to be hurt and disappointed in the "jilted" promises that ensue…and it won't be the politicians.
Why would teachers invest time, energy and money to become certified? Did promise of more money make them do it?
No.
Most teachers realize that additional college classroom seat time is next to irrelevant in their actual, minute-by-hour-by-day teaching activities.
Teachers improve teaching skill by teaching in the same way that students improve reading skill by reading.
But, teachers want to improve their professionalism and their status. The money is not sufficient to drive teachers down the long road to certification success, but the promise of more money probably tips motivations that are on the fence over to the "I'll do it" side of the internal debate.
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"In Florida, board-certified teachers earn an annual bonus of about $4,000, and can double that by working as mentors.
A handful of districts go even further, offering cash bonuses to lure board-certified teachers from other districts or out of state. Some of those are large counties like Miami-Dade, which pays a one-time stipend of $7,500, or Duval and Broward, which offer $2,500 and $2,100 per year respectively, according to the board.
But tiny Nassau County, with an enrollment of about 11,000 students, pays a $1,500 stipend, and 35,000-student Lake County pays $500 a year.
Hernando pays no extra stipend, and officials acknowledged they might be missing out on a useful tool to recruit and retain qualified teachers."
Source:Tampa Bay .Com
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/11/13/Hernando/A_plum_for_6_who_teac.shtml
In the State of Florida, what teachers thought was a "promise of marriage" turned out to be a "one night stand," or maybe if they receive some money, "a long weekend of romance…before being dumped."
What the Florida Legislature is up to amounts to an "annulment."
But, how do teachers feel when they are "dumped?"
Perhaps words that seem acceptable for modern, prime-time television (but are still less than acceptable in our classrooms) might describe the the new personal lows felt by some Florida teachers who trusted in the promises of their political leaders.
Should Classroom Toolkit Publish this News Item?
The danger that politicians (and their school district cronies) in other areas of the country might latch on to this "annul stipends solution" to ameliorate their budget ills, and sabotage other stipend programs.
Maybe in tough economic times, the choice between gasoline and electricity, heating fuel and a five-day school week comes down to scuttling stipends for…
- Special Education Teachers
- Bilingual Teachers
- Gifted and Talented Teachers
- Coaches (except for the money-making men's' football and basketball coaches)
Come to think of it, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) focuses upon "highly qualified" teachers. So, why not make a Master's Degree the entry level for teachers?
This way, teachers with a Master's Degree wouldn't deserve stipends. Even better, teachers with only a Bachelor's Degree could enjoy a cut in pay.
And those PhD's and EdD's? Their degree was probably only theoretical or statistical…nothing practical for raising test scores…so they wouldn't mind forgoing stipends for their terminal degree, would they?
Due Process, Hold Harmless and Property Rights
Ordinary contact rights would not allow school district officials to dump stipends at will.
There are Due Process and Property Rights, and clauses about Holding Rights Holders Harmless.
This usually means something like dropping the money that new folks might get, but not reducing the money that in-place employees receive.
The "loop hole" in this flawed thinking is when a State Legislature changes the law. This absolves school district leaders of what would ordinarily be a crime (and criminal intent).
But, politicians and school district officials who damage the professionalism of our schools should be open to class action lawsuits.
Contracts with teachers should be a commitment to a perpetual right. Political mismanagement or political meddling should entitle teachers to a class action recourse (preferable at public expense).
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Money spent in lawsuits, legal fees and lost work time would be better spent by increasing teacher pay, anyway.
The Danger of Speaking Out"Job Endangerment
Unfortunately, teacher talent, outstanding results and exemplary past evaluations are insufficient shields for executive-directed, rock-bottom evaluations the next time evaluations roll around.
Joining a class action lawsuit could mean retribution that costs more money than the loss of the puny stipend.
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But since teacher salaries are low, the loss of a few dollars in stipend money seems huge…just ask spouses and children of teachers how many pleasures they are denied because family funds are limited.
All of this leaves teachers feeling like the naive gal who wakes up to find herself alone in a motel room, with bus fare pinned to her undergarments…
Of course, with politicians as bedfellows, what else can you expect except "day-after" remorse, lowered self-esteem, a withering sense of professionalism, and depressed energy levels.
A bit of indignant anger and "vent-able" hostility might be appropriate, too.
But, in a political climate where education "takes a back seat" to most other issues, a teacher's best hope might be a gentle, collegial shoulder to cry on.
