It's encouraging that Gov. Tim Pawlenty is reaching out to President Obama (Star Tribune, March 14) regarding educational reform. But before we put all of our eggs in the governor's Q Comp basket, let's take an honest look at his favorite "pay for performance" program, which he touted in an open letter to Arne Duncan, the president's education secretary. Three reports last month, including one by the governor's own Department of Education, showed that Q Comp so far has not proven to be the magic formula for improving student achievement.
Q Comp gets mixed reviews
By Tom Dooher
A Legislative Auditor's report said there is not enough data to determine whether the program is improving student achievement. The report found that superintendents and charter-school directors tended to have positive views of the program, while teachers expressed more mixed opinions on its effectiveness. And, the report says, the Education Department's application process holds districts to inconsistent standards.
The department's own consultant's report said the perception of Q Comp among participants had been positive but did not find a strong correlation between Q Comp participation and test scores.
And an investigation by the Star Tribune found that the program had resulted in pay increases for nearly all participating teachers, which makes sense, because we have high-quality teachers in Minnesota.
It is also important to look closely at what Obama did not say in his education speech last week. He did not call for federally mandated pay tied to test scores, nor did he want to tie teacher pay only to student test scores. Duncan has supported schoolwide bonuses to avoid competition among teachers in the same building, an idea that makes sense. And the president and the secretary have said that performance-pay programs should be developed in conjunction with teachers, not imposed on them.
Such programs should be well-designed for local needs and negotiated with teachers, not foisted on communities from above. As much as the pay, the major attraction of performance-pay programs for our members has been the opportunity to have good professional development and to be able to collaborate with colleagues.
Test scores cannot be the only measure of effectiveness, especially involving teacher quality. The focus has to be much broader than test scores and should involve teachers who receive national board certification, who agree to teach in schools in challenged socioeconomic areas, who take on additional responsibilities, and who have demonstrated knowledge and skills known to improve teaching.
Tom Dooher is president of the teachers union Education Minnesota.
about the writer
Tom Dooher
The Scenic Rivers nonprofit dental clinic in Cook, Minn., is still struggling to replace equipment lost or damaged in last summer’s flood.