So now teachers have an incentive to give every kid in the class an A+ and mark them present when they cut classes. Why? Because if they do that, the teachers get a big fat bonus for their merit pay. I have a great idea. How about Obama gives me a job where i just tell him I'm doing the job and just like the teachers, i will oversee my own work and he pays me for what i tell him i did! /sarcasm off This teachers merit pay is going to be a big downward spiral too, because the honest teachers are going to get kids who didnt do any work but the last teacher still gave them A's so the next teacher has to either catch the kid up on his previous grade so she can get the "merit pay" that year, or she will just have to lie like the last teacher and give him all A's and the downward spiral continues. Merit pay for teachers is just throwing money away. We already spend more on education than almost every other country...if we do not have the smartest kids now, it isnt going to happen by throwing more money into it.
Here is what is wrong with the teaching profession. Even if you have a phd in physics but no teaching certificate then you can't get a job in state run high schools or elementary schools in North Carolina and that is pathetic.
Libraries are still free. Parents who have no access to the Internet can sure as hell take their progeny to the local Library and get the kid up and running online. And what a wonderful excuse to monitor the crap the kid looks at. Oh yea, there's all those books in there. What a concept! A world of educational materials at their command.
Most states have an "Emergency Teacher Certification" program. Ya get hired and start taking the classes needed for certification. In many states, that consists of about 12 hrs. ymmv
Most states have an "Emergency Teacher Certification" program. Ya get hired and start taking the classes needed for certification. In many states, that consists of about 12 hrs. ymmv Still a crock of crap. Did you ever take an education course. Worthless.
The exam should be drafted by the government, not by the teacher to avoid any bias. Present or not is not so meaningful as long as they pass the exam with good score.