Merit Pay
... she is doing. The second way is output criteria or student performance. Student performance is the way that most of the merit pay programs rate their teachers. Their scores on two tests measure students, one test at the beginning of the year and one test at the end of the year. The two test scores would then be compared to see how that individual has progressed. If the class scores well then bonus pay may be awarded to the teacher. A teacher may also receive the extra pay by taking on more activities within the school, by having excellent attendance and by teaching subjects that need teachers. In order for merit pay to be successful, it needs to gain the support of everyone involved. This includes the board, administrators, teachers and the community (Merit Pay for Teachers). Before a merit pay program can be put into effect, it must select a committee. This committee will be responsible for deciding who gets the bonus and who does not. After selecting a committee, that committee needs to sit down and decide what the guidelines are for handing out merit pay. After this is done, the committee must select an amount for the bonus. This amount must be enough that it will motivate teachers to work harder to get that bonus. The idea of merit pay can be good for teachers, students, and parents. It is good for teachers because they can get more money. Teacher salaries are relatively low, so it is nice that they can be rewarded with some extra pay. It will also help to motivate the teacher and help the teacher come up with some new and creative ideas. It is also good for the students. It is good for them because they will receive a better education if the teacher is putting in that extra effort and it may also make learning fun. The parents are helped out because they can be confident that the teacher who teaches their child is doing the best that he or she can do. However, Merit pay also has some problems. First, merit pay programs are very difficult to set up. A program must receive approval from teachers and the community. It must also decide how much money should be paid out to the teachers that are selected. Then the committee board needs to figure out where to get the funds that will be used to pay out these bonuses. They have to find people who will observe the teachers, and not only observe them but make their decisions based on how the teacher is actually doing and not have a biased opinion. It also must be discussed whether or not to publish the names of the teachers who have received merit pay. This is important because some teachers may not want their names published while others will want it published. A second problem is trying to find a consistent way to judge the teachers. This is a problem because one person may not like a teacher while ten other people mi...