It is the only thing in Washington public schools resembling merit pay – or “performance pay” if you want to avoid fighting words among some teachers.
It is the only means we have of getting our best teachers to take on the challenge of working in our most-struggling schools.
And it is on the budget-cut target lists of at least two of the four legislative caucuses in Olympia.
To encourage teachers to undergo the difficult certification offered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the state gives a $5,000 a year bump in pay to those who succeed. It isn’t easy. The process requires teachers to pass assessments in their area of expertise and show evidence of classroom effectiveness. It takes up to three years and only half of those who apply are certified.
There is a strong correlation between certified teachers and classroom success.
If those teachers either remain in or move to the schools with chronically low student performance they get another $5,000.
It is the only statewide program Washington has to reverse the reality that in public education, quality flows uphill (though Seattle’s new contract has some bonuses for mentor teachers and those in tough schools).
Generally, the greenest teachers tend to get assigned the toughest schools. If they survive this trial by fire, they tend to move toward schools with fewer social issues, better parental support, more attention from district administrators.
“Challenging schools are disadvantaged by lots of other policies,” said Jeanne Harmon, executive director of the Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession. “This was an attempt to give some advantage to challenging schools. And now, because times are tough, we’re going to cut it?”
The bonuses also are the only statewide effort to change the way teachers are compensated, the only program resembling performance pay that the Washington Education Association has embraced, giving financial and mentoring help to applicants.
Even though the bonus program is relatively young, we are starting to see numbers that confirm it is meeting the dual goals of retaining the best teachers and getting more of them in struggling schools.
A survey of board-certified teachers by the Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy at the University of Washington found that while there are nonmonetary factors, the bonuses were very influential in getting teachers to seek certification and to stay in tough schools.
So why target the bonuses? Because after three years of budget cutting the so-called easy cuts already have been captured. The reductions being discussed in Olympia right now are taking money out of nearly every program. The subsidy for health insurance for the working poor could end. The small stipend that keeps the chronically unemployable off the street will likely go away. Levy equalization for poor school districts might be pared back.
In this atmosphere, giving bonuses to 4,000 top teachers (1,200 more are expected to be added when results come out mid-month) and has an annual price tag of $35 million might as well have flashing red lights on it.
Gov. Chris Gregoire, who championed the program, has not proposed its elimination although “she’s very aware that everything needs to be considered,” said spokeswoman Karina Shagren.
But majority House Democrats have suggested it be reduced and Sen. Joe Zarelli, the budget lead for Senate Republicans, has called for its end.
Still, eliminating the bonus should be seen as a broken promise. The state told teachers if they earned certification they would be rewarded. And it would be especially unfair for this year’s class, many of whom took out a $2,000 conditional loan from the state to help pay the costs of certification. It was to be repaid out of their first year bonus, something they might now not receive.
Despite the tough economic times, supporters of the bonuses are arguing for their retention.
“The Legislature made a promise with teachers to tackle something, to put up their time, money and family time,” said Michaela Miller, who coordinates the program for the Office of the Superintendent of Public Schools.
“We can ill afford to lose that trust.”
Peter Callaghan: 253-597-8657 peter.callaghan@thenewstribune.com
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