Perry Creates Merit Pay Plan for Teachers
Posted on: Thursday, 3 November 2005, 15:00 CST
By Terrence Stutz, The Dallas Morning News
Nov. 3--AUSTIN -- Gov. Rick Perry ordered the creation of a limited merit pay plan for teachers at low-income schools Wednesday, trying to get some momentum for an idea that failed in the Legislature earlier this year.
Leading teacher groups quickly attacked the proposal, which would start with $10 million and be expanded to as much as $35 million. They said the funding was "paltry" and would leave the vast majority of Texas teachers with nothing.
But Mr. Perry insisted the time is right to reward teachers based on their performance, particularly at schools with many low-income students who are generally considered more difficult to educate. The governor also noted that lawmakers debated an incentive pay plan in their regular session and two special sessions this year.
"While the Legislature adjourned with little success, the need for education reform is simply too great to wait for lawmakers to overcome their differences," he said. "That is why I am committed to implementing essential education reforms using the full power and authority of the executive branch."
The executive order from Mr. Perry on Wednesday is his second in recent months directing changes in public schools. The first required that all school districts spend at least 65 percent of their funding on classroom instruction -- another proposal that failed to pass the Legislature.
While some experts doubt whether the governor has authority to implement new education programs and state requirements on his own, no one has challenged his first order in court.
Teacher organizations, however, said Mr. Perry is on thin ice with his latest action.
"By dictating that the Texas Education Agency must create a merit pay plan for teachers, the governor has once against chosen to ignore the will of the Legislature and impose his whim on the public schools of Texas," said Donna New Haschke, president of the Texas State Teachers Association.
Doug Rogers of the Association of Texas Professional Educators called the plan a "bad idea" that ignores the need to raise all teacher salaries in Texas to the national average. He also said there will be little support among teachers for any plan that provides bonuses to a few teachers based on student test scores.
And Eric Hartman of the Texas Federation of Teachers said the "paltry" amount of money pledged for the program will leave the vast majority of teachers and schools in the state "empty-handed."
The proposal will use $10 million in discretionary federal funds to get the incentive program off the ground. Mr. Perry said he will ask the Legislative Budget Board -- made up of legislative leaders -- to approve an additional $25 million in state funds.
The initial $10 million will be distributed in $100,000 grants to 100 schools that have a large enrollment of low-income students. If the additional $25 million is authorized, that would add an additional 250 campuses to the program.
Local school officials would have discretion in passing out the bonuses, but at least 75 percent of the funds must go to teachers whose students show improved achievement. Under that criteria, about 17,500 teachers could receive average bonuses of $1,500 a year if $35 million was allocated for the plan. That is about 6 percent of Texas teachers.
State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, who is running against Mr. Perry in the GOP primary, said the governor "has failed to recognize that every Texas teacher needs a pay raise right now. Moreover, this money was already going to schools, and he's trying to repackage it to take political credit."
Former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell, seeking the Democratic nomination for governor, charged that Mr. Perry has ignored a crisis in teacher retention and is only now offering a "gimmick" that does little to address the problem.
-----
To see more of The Dallas Morning News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dallasnews.com.
Copyright (c) 2005, The Dallas Morning News
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.
Source: The Dallas Morning News
Related Articles
- As They Return to Their Classrooms, More Than 10 Percent of Teachers Say Their School Is Not Prepared to Help Protect Students
- Springfield, Vt., High School Bans Substitute Teacher
- Panel Pitches Schools Plan: Property Tax Could Pay for Buildings
- IN BRIEF: Teachers Hit Out at Plans for Phonics
- Taft Touts School Plan, Says Teachers Need New Skills
- Two State Teachers Board Appointees Win Approval From Senate Committee
- Teachers Get Time to Plan, Collaborate
- State's Teachers Rank Seventh in National List
- Lawmakers Seem Set to OK Out-of-State Teachers
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds