Should teachers be paid based on their performance?

In a way, you're right. I have had teachers that are great and they make their students want to learn more. But I also had teachers that I think doesn't deserve to be called as such. The worst one doesn't come to class at all (well ok, she did come to class I think six times for the whole year). She just sent the lessons for one of my classmates to write on the board and for us to copy and at times she would also send stuff like chocolates for those of us who want to buy. I think she taught us once and the rest of the time she came to give us our periodical exam. The best part of all is that she got paid for doing just that. I think it is unfair to other teachers who are really giving their best to educate their students. However, it is a little hard to really determine how they are performing. You have to come up with an effective criteria and that is hard to do without affecting, in one way or another, the teachers' own way of teaching. It will also be unfair for some teachers who are really good educators but whose methods of teaching will not go exactly with what a certain criteria would require them. But i do agree with you that we should consider their performance, i just don't know how. Maybe give incentives to those who are performing well.

i dont know where you live, but here in ontario (canada) teachers are one the most well paid in the province...they get 2 weeks off at christmas, 1 during march and the summer off...they are only allowed to work so many hours per week (due to union rules)...anyways, we have a friend who is a teacher and has been for several years and makes about 70k per year!! more money? i dont think so!

Those teachers who cannot handle their work properly then there work should be administered and they should be paid on the basis of their performance .As sometimes some teachers do neglect their work when they know that their no one is to look upon them

ya I feel the idea is not bad and i feel that there should be proper evaluation for teachers from time to time and according to their knowlege grade can be given accordingly performance bonus . I think as per as a postive growth is concern there should be a +ve competitive environment amongs the students and teachers as well. otherewise teacher may not let him/her updated with latest knowlege and technology. In my place contions of teachers in government schools is too poor they don't take sufficent efforts for teaching as there is no chek over them there is no authority to chek their progress they are only more concern they will get their salary on first of month no one can stop that once they are appointed as government teacher wether they will teach or not. i realy hate this kind of attitude who is putting our education system down.

It is difficult to give a definite answer to this question because if teachers are paid based on their performance their pay would fluctuate and some would not get paid at all. We need to understand that some children just refuse to learn. Also the fact that some of the classes are so big makes it very hard for teachers to ensure that every student gets the required attention that they need to adequately learn.

The teachers are the builder of a strong nation. If the teacher performs with qualitiies, he/she should be paid for the same to permote others. The institutes recruits the cheap teacher to teach the students, they dont know that as the teacher are cheaper the will make the student cheapest like themselves.

I would agree somewhat. Teachers should have to go through a REAL evaluation and then their raises be based upon their performance. There are lots of bad teachers that are being paid as much as the good teachers and this really makes things unfair. You have to earn your pay in life!

I think thats an excellent idea...make them earn how much they are paid. It might make some better teachers. LIVE IN PEACE

Don't worry, just like other professions, teachers have salary grade levels and the more senior and effective ones do receive more than the newbies and timid. Elections has just passed, I hope legislators look into this problem of underpaid teachers in our public school system.

yes-absolutely.they should get grades too. the ones in my state threaten to strike every single year for more money and hold up the start of school,when they're already getting $60,000+ a year,plus benefits,plus retirement,which is probably higher on average than almost any other state. and what do we get for our money here? kids that can barely produce a comprehensible sentence,and one who somehow made it all the way to college,illiterate. the ones who do care about their profession though should definetly be rewarded.

I have been a teacher for almost ten years. I have always tried to do my best for my students and I have well-liked by them. The present education system in my country loads lots of administration works and organising of activities upon teachers which are not related to teaching. Quite often teachers are graded based on the special events that they have organised rather than their effectiveness in teaching. Quite demoralising actually. Nevertheless, to see our pupils grow in character and knowledge is our greatest reward. Having financial reward would definitely be helpful too.

For me i think it will give them rewards for being hard workers. I love being a teacher and i know whats the responsibilities as a teacher. If you do what you can to help kids in their studies it feels like you you are successful.

I have been in the education field for over 15 years. I was a teacher of many different grades and am now a Vice-Principal of a school of over 1000 students. I definately think teachers should be paid based on performance. I have seen amazing teachers and awful ones. However, the logistics of such a matter would be difficult. What would the criteria be? Remember, often the best teachers are those who focus on the whole student, and not just in the four walls of the classroom. cheers,

Today we live in the society full of competion, which carries out market economy ,everything is associated with money.Then the problem of proper distribution seems to be concerful.In our country,many public-owned coroperation have already realised distribution according to work .In my opinion,it also fits for teachers. Teachers are also labourer,some of who are excellent ,some of who are horrible.Drastic competions also exist among teachers themselves.If every teacher gain the same reward,it will be unfare to those who are cautious and conscientious,while other halfheated teachers will continue their floppy style. Above is the reason why I support the system that distribute according to work.

In my country, most teachers are paid by the government if it is a government-run school. teachers of the same rank have the similar salary within the same district. but they can have different bonus which is based on their different performance or their workload.

That would be a very good idea, although it will be very hard to judge the performance of teachers afterall, students are all different individuals with different capabilities and such. So while a teacher may not be so good, the students in a class may already be top and perform well in school, whereas a really good teacher's efforts may not reflect well if their students are as lazy, bludgers and so on. So it will be too hard too judge these.

Hey, i agree with you completely!They help to increase student's retentive capacity!Yes,some are not to paid because of their performance in classroom!When i was in high school, i had one laze teacher that will never come to class,but at the end will give that which she has never mentioned to us and we will always report her.And finally we ended up making her lose her pay for a term.Next term,she became the best teacher in my school!How great! Telling and teaching them that what they do is not good should be accompained with great and desceive measure!

i agree with you. in fact ,i was a teacher 3 months ago.and the salary i get is just so so. in our training center ,we teachers just get the salary halfly according to their performance,not all the part. those teachers who have more experience is definitely getting more money than us,even though some of them can not have the same good achievment as me ,so that is what i don't agree.

yes teachers should be paid according to their capability...performance should be seen everywhere and if they perform well they should be paid more

This is a very interesting and important topic of discussion. Thank you for bringing it to the table! I agree that I've had both very good and very bad teachers in my educational lifetime. Right now, I'm experiencing both at the college I'm attending - I have two teachers who work above and beyond the call od duty and I have one who seems to really hate their job (very frustrating). I've always wondered how teachers are paid - when comparing those who work all hours of the day compared to those who produce the bare minimum in terms of efforts and communication. It interests me. I agree that the ones really putting their best foot forward should be compensated as such.