Re: teacher accountability. I agree that I can hold the college professor accountable if they don't know their subject, but only if that is the case.
The major point I've been making here is that test scores, including failure rates on the incredibly easy Praxis I, are strong evidence that many teachers don't know much about what they're teaching.
Re: bashing... I do consider it bashing, and not honest criticism, when I read diatribe after diatribe about how teachers are greedy-lazy-stupid-selfish etc.
I googled the term "greedy teachers" and one of the top hits was a piece called
Teachers: A Greedy and Selfish Lot, says the Wall Street Journal. The "greedy" spin was added by the blog writer and it distorted what the paper wrote. A lot of the first 30 hits had exactly that same type of spin. Actual accusations of greed were thrown at the unions, but I didn't find any aimed at teachers.
I'm coming to the conclusion that accusing people or the media of "teacher bashing" is primarily a tactic used to deflect attention from honest criticism. That Wall Street Journal piece is a case in point.
Finally, I think anecdotal contributions are important. Studies are funded to ask specific questions, and too often, by people with specific agendas. They do not ask every question, thus do not provide a complete picture. Test scores tell only part of any story and need to be fleshed out with the real experiences that people have had. I don�t see the difference between individuals stating on this forum that merit pay would not enhance their professional experience or motivation, and the assertion that �many� talented people don�t go into teaching because of lack of merit pay. Personally, I don�t see merit pay making a difference in test scores or overall outcomes.
Anecdotes are nice for telling stories, but they only give a tiny slice of reality. As for your next comment, are you saying that we should just abandon studies because researchers have "agendas?"
I presented evidence showing that knowledgeable/talented people leave the public schools or just don't go there.
Again, I fail to understand the opposition to merit pay. The seniority-only system protects mediocrities and creates disincentives for going the extra mile. Public schools also drive away capable people (both students and teachers) by failing to recognize talent.
