Walters ‘performance-pay’ for public school

Continued from Pg. 1

The proposal has caused a rift among prominent members of the education field, with various state politicians and educators calling for pay raises for all teachers, regardless of factors such as classroom practices. The policy does not specify how districts would implement the approach, nor does it detail how student performance would be evaluated.

Many are concerned by the lack of guaranteed raises and the possibility that unclear evaluations for teachers would end up causing more harm than good.

“Different teacher evaluation forms and inconsistency between raters within and between schools makes the system suggested by this policy unreliable,” said Bryan Duke, University of Central Oklahoma’s interim dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies.

“While I appreciate any effort to recognize Oklahoma’s teachers, serious efforts are needed to make the profession more attractive and competitive regarding pay and working conditions for all who are contributing and advancing in this work,” Duke said. “Expert teachers and those developing expertise benefit from appropriate support. A performance-pay model has the potential to demotivate and discourage the retention of teachers who are making a difference for kids and their families every day, but whose performance is not recognized in a problematic system.”

Oklahoma teachers have advocated for statewide pay raises for years. During former Gov. Mary Fallin’s term in 2018, a nine-day teacher walkout was held, and Fallin signed a measure giving all teachers a $6,100 raise.

Even with that increase in pay, Oklahoma ranks 49th in education in the United States. The fight to give teachers proper pay has impacted the field immensely, with teachers quitting the field or leaving the state.

Duke said it is affecting recruitment at the state’s education colleges and departments.

“It is more difficult now than I have witnessed in my 32 years as an educator to encourage students and prospective students to become a teacher,” Duke said. “We are seeing declines in enrollment, but through really strong initiatives, we seem to be slowing the decline.”

While he emphasized the rewards of a teaching career, Duke said that promoting those personal and professional rewards requires more support from both the state Legislature and the general public.

“Teachers can choose to come to your local school, stay, or go,” Duke said. “There are not many teachers — especially those who have been comprehensively prepared and certified — to replace the ones who leave. Teachers have more responsibilities and challenges placed on them than they have in the past, yet they are increasingly being scrutinized. That dynamic is not sustainable. Our state needs a strong and supported teacher workforce, and I’m hopeful real problems — including appropriate support systems — will be the focus as we move forward.”

The superintendent will present his proposal to the House and Senate once the legislative session commences for 2023.