 "Photo: http://www.washingtontimes.com")
On March 10, 2009, President Obama delivered a speech in support of merit-based pay for teachers. President Obama spoke before the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, saying, "To complete our race to the top requires the third pillar of reform - recruiting, preparing, and rewarding outstanding teachers."
He spoke on his support for "incentivizing" the teaching profession, in order to achieve better results in the classroom, and his support for eliminating bad teaching in the classroom. "Let me be clear: if a teacher is given a chance but still does not improve, there is no excuse for that person to continue teaching. I reject a system that rewards failure and protects a person from its consequences."
President Obama noted the value of education, justifying the $53 billion going to education in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. "That is why our Recovery Act will ensure that hundreds of thousands of teachers and school personnel are not laid off - because those Americans are not only doing jobs they cannot afford to lose, they are rendering a service our nation cannot be denied."
Merit-based pay embraces the idea of rewarding teachers based on many factors, including the improved achievement of students. This "improved achievement" is measured by students' performance on standardized tests. A teacher's pay then goes up or down, depending on how a student scores on these tests.
When asked whether or not merit-based pay is a good idea for teachers, Carrie Maxwell, a sophomore at the School of Education offered her take. "If a teacher is failing to teach their students effectively, then there are going to be some problems. If one teacher has better qualifications or more experience than another, then I think that it makes sense that they should be paid more." Carrie is studying to be an elementary school teacher.
She also said, "I think merit-based pay should be given to teachers after they have seen good results with students after a number of years. There are already a number of awards and honors for teachers who do a great job in the classroom, and besides paying teachers based on their ability (which is what I think merit-based pay would be), those awards should be enough."
The President acknowledged the contention amongst Democrats in support of merit-based pay, saying "Too many supporters of my party have resisted the idea of rewarding excellence in teaching with extra pay, even though we know it can make a difference in the classroom. Too many in the Republican Party have opposed new investments in early education, despite compelling evidence of its importance. It's more money versus more reform, vouchers versus the status quo."
His speech touched on four other "pillars" of educational reform needed in order for the United States to remain competitive with other countries in the education arena. President Obama referred to the educational system in South Korea, as a model for what American education should be.
Pointing to South Korea's year-round educational system, Obama said "Our children spend over a month less in school than children in South Korea. That is no way to prepare them for a 21st century economy. That is why I'm calling for us not only to expand effective after-school programs, but to rethink the school day to incorporate more time - whether during the summer or through expanded-day programs for children who need it."
A commenter on the Huffingtonpost.com responded, "He wants to model the US education system after the South Korean one? Give me a break. Kids in school from 7am-11pm six days a week. An exam that decides your whole future based on what university you get into. This is a regressive, antiquated system."
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