Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Bonuses for Educators - is Governor Walker serious?

You have to watch this Governor Walker interview on “Up Front” with Mike Gousha regarding bonuses and merit pay for state employees.  When Governor Walker tells that he favors public school districts giving out bonuses to educators for exceptional work, my only questions to the governor is – HOW????? 

Even if you (Governor Walker) truly wanted educators in public schools to receive these, how in the world do you expect those school districts to offer such bonuses when more and more of them are struggling to simply meet baseline operational costs following your deep cuts in state financial aid to those districts? 
That sounds great to tell us how you feel Governor Walker, but it is not easy for me to buy into your comments on this as being genuine when such bonuses are not even remotely plausible.  I am all for sound fiscal stewardship, but taking away their funding in the manner that you did and then encouraging them to give bonuses is like rationing my drinking water and then encouraging me to put in a pool or to give my dog a bath. 
But maybe others feel differently?



Please explain that one to me Governor Walker, because I am all ears.
Gary

3 comments:

  1. I think what Walker really means when he says he supports bonuses for teachers is a program of first cutting teacher pay down to what we would now consider "starting" teacher pay, and then offering some sort of bonus system. I have no idea what he would base the bonuses on, though - but here's a thought. What if we base them on experience, professional development (like higher degrees) and performance of extra duties?

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  2. That's what they were doing.But they no longer can.

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  3. May 1 anon commenter--you are being sarcastic, right? That's EXACTLY what a salary schedule does, at least that was the case when I taught from 1972-2005.

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