What is worth more to teachers? Making a difference or a little extra cash?

The experts say we can’t attract good teachers and many of the good, young teachers leave the field because of low salaries, and yes that is a bit incongruent but often experts are. Politicians say we need merit pay to improve education but we all know why they don’t get merit pay. Then administrators say we need to offer bonuses to get teachers to go to our struggling schools, the problem with most administrators is even though they began as teachers as soon as they become admins they completely forget what is was like to be a teacher.

Do you know what these experts, politicians and administrators have in common? They just don’t get it, they don’t understand how teachers think and what is important to them and perhaps even more important in these difficult economic times is their lack of understanding is wasting the public’s money.

Teachers didn’t become teachers to get rich. They know the salaries aren’t going to be that great and never will be but still they join the profession. The reason they become teachers is they are purpose driven and their purpose it to make a difference in young peoples lives. There rewards aren’t monetary, teachers are not money driven. Their rewards come from the transfer of knowledge during a lesson and the smile or look of relief they see on a young person’s face when they finally get it. The feeling they get from making a difference in children’s lives is worth more than money to them.

I wonder if they student studying business at the Ivy league school would have said, yeah I might consider teaching If it paid a lot more, if they knew what damage their words would create. Like the end result of the butterfly beating its wings in China economists grabbed this throw away comment and ran with it.

People who would be teachers aren’t staying away because of the low salaries and young teachers aren’t leaving the field in droves because of the salary; they are leaving the field in droves because they have to teach to the test and innovation and creativity have been replaced with rubrics and pacing guides. They are leaving because they aren’t supported by administrators who find it easier to let the inmates run the asylum and thugs roam the halls. They leave because they are overwhelmed with task after task that has little to do with education and they are crestfallen by a system that cares only about numbers not kids and teachers.

Then it is the same for veteran teachers too. Allowing innovation and
creativity and giving respect and support would have a much greater impact on education than merit pay and bonuses do and I believe it would not only save money but we would see better results too.

However do you know what is truly stunning about this debate? Teachers weren’t clamoring for more money or for bonuses. Of course like everybody teachers think they should be paid more but by and large teachers weren’t protesting in the streets.

In my eleven years of teaching I never heard a colleague say, they thought they should get paid more than another one. I never knew a math teacher who thought they were more valuable than a history teacher or a history teacher who thought they were worth more than a P.E. coach and that’s because teachers work as a team to educate children. Each has their role to play. But the powers-that-be are trying to start a division and drive a wedge between teachers.

I have known many teachers who left the field but very few said it had anything to do with money. It’s the adults not the kids they would lament; meaning money was at best a distant third.

I am not saying teachers don’t want to get recognized for their hard work but the thing is the vast majority of teachers should all be recognized for their hard work. I am also saying teachers don’t want to get paid but

I am saying there are more important things to them.
The problem is the powers-that-be just don’t get it. They can’t fathom that a child’s smile and a little respect and support is worth more to a teacher than a few more shekels’ in their pocket.