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Are the Teachers Getting Paid Too Much?
While it is true that nearly 90% of the cost of operating our
district goes to paying the salaries and benefits of the teachers,
administrators and staff, I don't know for sure that things are out of
whack.
I am a free-market, conservative economic thinker who believes that all
individuals have the wisdom and power to determine if their compensation is
sufficient. If a person is satisfied with the compensation, working
conditions, job assignment and all that, then it can be expected that the
person will stay in their job.
Likewise, the employer must try to understand how much it costs to create
that satisfactory deal with the members of the team. In economics, you are
taught that the employers wants to pay just enough to keep all the positions
filled. Any more is a waste of money (for the employer), but any less will
leave the employer with unfilled positions because no one will work for that
wage.
True enough as a simple concept, but high-performance organizations have a
more sophisticated compensation approach. When building a high-performance
team, the most important thing is intelligent, skilled, motivated,
collaborative, and well-equipped team members who can be given stimulating
and meaningful challenges. True high-performance teams are so rare and
special that sometimes people will accept less in the way of money, security
and even safety to be a part of one. Think of a U.S. Marine, who at age 18
volunteers to put his life on the line in Iraq for about $18,000/yr. I know
one of those - a nephew who earned two Purple Hearts in Iraq - he's not in it for the money.
Nor are our teachers. Few of us understand what it is to go into a classroom
every day, prepared to put new knowledge into the heads of a roomful of
kids. I'm not going to say that they are overpaid. In fact, all I can say at
this point is that I don't know if our teachers are compensated fairly. I
have much to learn in that regard. One important document to study is the
Collective Bargaining Agreement between
the Board of Education and the
Hilliard Education Association
(the teachers' union). To read a little about what I've learned so far,
go here.
But here's something I was taught by the great folks I
worked with at CompuServe: the best way
to destroy the performance and morale of a team is to fail to deal with
individuals who don't perform up to the standards of the team. It should be
the task of the School Board and the administration to ensure that teachers
have the environment, training and tools to be successful in their
assignment. Likewise it is the duty of the HEA to ensure that every teacher
in every classroom is motivated, skilled and effective. The HEA should not be a
shield for underperformers, but rather should be a seal of quality both the
Association and the community are proud of.
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