A Time for Teamwork in Schools

In Monday’s Washington Post, Jay Mathews’ column “Merit Pay Could Ruin Teacher Teamwork”, discusses the incentive bonus plan, created by Chancellor Michelle Rhee, for D.C. public school teachers and the need for collaboration among teachers.

Mathews said, “The idea troubles me, because it is at odds with what I have learned from charter leaders who have made great achievement gains in their independent public schools. Their staffs thrive on teamwork. Everyone shares lesson plans, swaps ideas and reinforces discipline to help each child.”

Teachers can be encouraged to work in teams and rewarded through pay systems that recognize their collaborative efforts to improve student learning. However, it is not always pay that teachers site as their biggest concern with the profession. The 2004-05 MetLife Survey of the American Teacher found that principals and teachers place a high value on personal connections and supportive professional relationships. The study also found that beginning teachers’ satisfaction with the quality of their professional support is directly related to whether they plan to remain in education.

The importance of teamwork and supportive learning environments is highlighted in the NCTAF pledge – Principle One: Create schools that are genuine learning communities. Learning teams are essential for building and deepening teacher knowledge, integrating new practitioners into a learning community, supporting constant professional development and encouraging dialogue on best practices.

NCTAF has been all over the United States seeking out learning communities and shining a spotlight on these best practices. Take Steve Smith, superintendent of Lowndes County School District in Valdosta, GA. After a working conditions survey of the district found that teachers were dissatisfied with the amount of time they had to collaborate with their colleagues, Smith rearranged the busing schedule in order to find an extra 90 minutes every day for teachers to work together. The big winners though are the students. At Lowndes High School, the graduation rate increased by 6 percent in one year, and the school is now meeting its AYP goals.

There is a lot of evidence that suggests teamwork is an integral part to building and sustaining a true learning organization. So back to Jay Mathews’ question, can teamwork and merit pay co-exist? What are your thoughts?

Engage Teachers in Careers that Reward Collaboration and Expertise

In today’s Washington Post, the article Longer Year for Fairfax Teachers discusses the pros and cons of Fairfax County Public Schools’ new strategy to develop new roles and responsibilities for teachers, while also paying them for their time.

"[Fairfax is implementing] an $8 million, three-year county pilot initiative to extend teacher contracts into summer and encourage teachers to take on greater responsibilities, inside and outside the classroom. With intensifying demands from high-stakes tests and an increasingly diverse student population, Superintendent Jack D. Dale said, effective teaching requires more planning and collaboration. Away from the whiteboard, some teachers are data analysts, combing through test results to set priorities for September. Others are curriculum developers, teacher trainers or researchers on instructional techniques. By paying them for their time, Dale is trying to cement these roles in their careers."

This approach illustrates one of the components of NCTAF’s Pledge to Organize Schools for Success. “It is time to support multiple career paths with pay systems that recognize accomplished teaching and reward effective performance.”

In the article, University of Wisconsin professor/researcher Allan Odden said the notion of giving teachers more responsibilities in exchange for more pay is gaining momentum in public education. Do you agree with this statement? What other examples are out there? What do you think of Fairfax County's approach?