I attended the Iowa Education Summit held July 25th-26th in Des Moines, Iowa. One of the panel sessions at the Summit was entitled "Setting the Bar Higher for Teacher Evaluation and Compensation." The Des Moines Register summed up this panel discussion in their article "Teacher Pay, Raises Criticized." You can read the full article by going to www.desmoinesregister.com/edsummit.
The panel agreed that overall teachers need to get paid more. However, there was a lot of disagreement about what teacher pay should look like. Although I agree that the issue of teacher pay can be complicated, I strongly feel that it is a misunderstood issue. First, the panel stated that low pay has been a factor in not attracting top graduates into teaching. While I agree with this, I don't believe it is the be-all-end-all for attracting more teachers to the profession. Being a top graduate doesn't automatically equate to being an effective teacher. This is the misnomer in education. It is the art and science of teaching that makes effectiveness; not just being in the top % of your class.
Second, the panel also disagreed that having an advanced degree improved teacher effectiveness. I highly disagree with this. We know that improving teacher content knowledge and pedagogy results in increased student learning. How could having a Master's degree in your field not equate to increased effectiveness? If this is the argument then why do teachers need an undergraduate degree to be certified teachers? I don't think that policy makers would have the same thought when it comes to doctors or lawyers.
This is definitely an area that needs continued discussion. Teachers do need to get paid more and we do have to look at the system in order to make these changes. However, we can't just look at the carrot and stick approach when it comes to teacher pay. We must look at what truly motivates people to become teachers and how to retain them throughout their teaching career.
