Group pushes 'career ladder' for teachers
By Bret Hayworth Journal staff writer | Posted: Tuesday, March 13, 2007
The increased-teacher-pay piece is in place from 2006, and likely to get fatter in 2007.
Now, the second piece in changing teaching to more of a profession needs to be enacted.
That is the focus of The Institute for Tomorrow's Workforce, a panel that was created to take a comprehensive look at Iowa's K-12 education system.
ITW members Robert Koob, president of the University of Northern Iowa until retiring in 2006, and Debi Durham, Siouxland Chamber of Commerce president, said teaching should take on elements of training to be a doctor or lawyer, so that a "career ladder" would denote a degree of professionalism.
As a lawyer can rise through several hurdles to become a partner in a law firm or an able newspaper reporter can become an editor, there should be a means for teachers to demonstrate ability on the way to "master teacher" status, Koob told the Journal's editorial board Monday.
"A career ladder is absolutely essential for a professional teaching core," Koob said.
He said "not only should teachers be paid well, but they ought to be treated like professionals." But currently, there "is no measure of performance, there is no competition among (teachers), there is no opportunity to demonstrate their abilities towards the kids, the parents or one another," meaning parents have no standards to know if the teachers in their districts are good.
In the ITW proposal, Koob said, "not everyone gets to be a master teacher," just like not every attorney becomes a law firm partner.
As the UNI School of Education -- the Iowa college annually graduating the most teachers -- drops in number of students, Koob said, "What we are worried about is the future of teaching. Who is going to come in? ... People are no longer choosing to go into teaching anymore, because it is no longer a competitive profession in Iowa."
Most Iowa school districts pay teachers based on a starting, first-year salary, then add hundreds or thousands of dollars on top of that for each year of tenure.
Durham said it was "startling" for her to learn there is no research showing a correlation between student performance and a teacher salary method based on more pay for years of experience and for obtaining advanced degrees.
"We have put so much emphasis on tenure," Durham said. Koob said the reality is that teachers greatly improve over about their first five years, hold their ground in quality for middle years, then "become less effective" in their last years in the job.
As test scores of Iowa students are falling from often nation-leading levels, Durham said Iowa's education system is faltering. She said many Iowans have told pollsters they think Iowa education is on the wrong track, so it is time for "bold reform." She said she hoped both Democrats and Republicans would embrace the ITW recommendations.
Koob said ITW as created under former Gov. Tom Vilsack, but said he is hopeful Gov. Chet Culver will embrace the proposals.
Koob said some Iowans take the "ideological position" that teachers are overpaid and shouldn't get more money in salary unless there's a pay-for-performance aspect. He said the reality "is that most Iowa teachers outperform their salaries," and as a whole they need convincing the legislature will follow through on discussed programs. Koob noted that teachers were disgruntled when the 2001 teacher pay increase languished without funding by legislators, and speculated Culver in 2007 is focusing first on increasing teacher pay to show educators he means business, to raise teacher morale as well as counteracting lawmakers who don't want an increase.
Next year, don't be surprised to see Culver take up the career ladder aspect, Koob said. "I know he hasn't closed the door," Koob said.
Durham said she hopes Culver "leads from the top down" on ITW proposals. If not, she said, the recommendations will be pushed upward from "the grassroots." The Iowa State Education Association embraced the career path proposal back in 2001. Koob said a career ladder wouldn't require more money for pay.
The Institute for Tomorrow's Workforce isn't looking only at teacher pay in the Iowa K-12 education system. ITW report also encourages Iowa lawmakers to look at "system performance," and the "uneven opportunity" students have at an education, depending upon which Iowa school they attend, Koob said.
Regardless of whether a student attends a small rural school or a large inner city school, the system should work "so that they have the same opportunity to learn," Koob said.
Koob said the state should define "a rigor of the curriculum" in schools, including how many credits students should have in various subjects before they graduate. Durham said she believes in local control of schools, but said that only goes so far when students have uneven opportunities.
Many state lawmakers have been hesitant to step into school consolidation discussions. Durham said "it is always relevant" to have a discussion on school sizes and how many schools the state should have.
Said Durham, "If you don't perform, then something has to change -- there may need to be mergers, there may need to be different ways of delivering systems. To me, I don't think it matters how many schools we have -- it's, again, how well they perform ... We need a way to get flexibility in schools."
Bret Hayworth may be reached at (712) 293.4203 or brethayworth@siouxcityjournal.com
Now, the second piece in changing teaching to more of a profession needs to be enacted.
That is the focus of The Institute for Tomorrow's Workforce, a panel that was created to take a comprehensive look at Iowa's K-12 education system.
ITW members Robert Koob, president of the University of Northern Iowa until retiring in 2006, and Debi Durham, Siouxland Chamber of Commerce president, said teaching should take on elements of training to be a doctor or lawyer, so that a "career ladder" would denote a degree of professionalism.
As a lawyer can rise through several hurdles to become a partner in a law firm or an able newspaper reporter can become an editor, there should be a means for teachers to demonstrate ability on the way to "master teacher" status, Koob told the Journal's editorial board Monday.
"A career ladder is absolutely essential for a professional teaching core," Koob said.
He said "not only should teachers be paid well, but they ought to be treated like professionals." But currently, there "is no measure of performance, there is no competition among (teachers), there is no opportunity to demonstrate their abilities towards the kids, the parents or one another," meaning parents have no standards to know if the teachers in their districts are good.
In the ITW proposal, Koob said, "not everyone gets to be a master teacher," just like not every attorney becomes a law firm partner.
As the UNI School of Education -- the Iowa college annually graduating the most teachers -- drops in number of students, Koob said, "What we are worried about is the future of teaching. Who is going to come in? ... People are no longer choosing to go into teaching anymore, because it is no longer a competitive profession in Iowa."
Most Iowa school districts pay teachers based on a starting, first-year salary, then add hundreds or thousands of dollars on top of that for each year of tenure.
Durham said it was "startling" for her to learn there is no research showing a correlation between student performance and a teacher salary method based on more pay for years of experience and for obtaining advanced degrees.
"We have put so much emphasis on tenure," Durham said. Koob said the reality is that teachers greatly improve over about their first five years, hold their ground in quality for middle years, then "become less effective" in their last years in the job.
As test scores of Iowa students are falling from often nation-leading levels, Durham said Iowa's education system is faltering. She said many Iowans have told pollsters they think Iowa education is on the wrong track, so it is time for "bold reform." She said she hoped both Democrats and Republicans would embrace the ITW recommendations.
Koob said ITW as created under former Gov. Tom Vilsack, but said he is hopeful Gov. Chet Culver will embrace the proposals.
Koob said some Iowans take the "ideological position" that teachers are overpaid and shouldn't get more money in salary unless there's a pay-for-performance aspect. He said the reality "is that most Iowa teachers outperform their salaries," and as a whole they need convincing the legislature will follow through on discussed programs. Koob noted that teachers were disgruntled when the 2001 teacher pay increase languished without funding by legislators, and speculated Culver in 2007 is focusing first on increasing teacher pay to show educators he means business, to raise teacher morale as well as counteracting lawmakers who don't want an increase.
Next year, don't be surprised to see Culver take up the career ladder aspect, Koob said. "I know he hasn't closed the door," Koob said.
Durham said she hopes Culver "leads from the top down" on ITW proposals. If not, she said, the recommendations will be pushed upward from "the grassroots." The Iowa State Education Association embraced the career path proposal back in 2001. Koob said a career ladder wouldn't require more money for pay.
The Institute for Tomorrow's Workforce isn't looking only at teacher pay in the Iowa K-12 education system. ITW report also encourages Iowa lawmakers to look at "system performance," and the "uneven opportunity" students have at an education, depending upon which Iowa school they attend, Koob said.
Regardless of whether a student attends a small rural school or a large inner city school, the system should work "so that they have the same opportunity to learn," Koob said.
Koob said the state should define "a rigor of the curriculum" in schools, including how many credits students should have in various subjects before they graduate. Durham said she believes in local control of schools, but said that only goes so far when students have uneven opportunities.
Many state lawmakers have been hesitant to step into school consolidation discussions. Durham said "it is always relevant" to have a discussion on school sizes and how many schools the state should have.
Said Durham, "If you don't perform, then something has to change -- there may need to be mergers, there may need to be different ways of delivering systems. To me, I don't think it matters how many schools we have -- it's, again, how well they perform ... We need a way to get flexibility in schools."
Bret Hayworth may be reached at (712) 293.4203 or brethayworth@siouxcityjournal.com
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