Reward money on the way

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT-MESA -- A one-time windfall for more than 1,000 employees in

the Newport-Mesa Unified School District is a bitter pill for many to

swallow.

The state announced this week that full-time employees at 19 campuses

will receive a check for $591.32, with a matching check going to the

school that employs them.

But while the extra money might be a welcome addition to their bank

accounts, some employees are not comfortable with the reward, which is

based on the schools Academic Performance Index ranking.

“It just leaves a bad taste in your mouth,” said Daryle Palmer,

principal at Kaiser Elementary School, where she and each full-time

member of her staff will get a check. “As a professional, my job is to

support students and help them to reach their highest potential. The

piece that is difficult is that’s my job -- so I’m not comfortable with

this monetary reward for it.”

The School Site Employee Performance Bonuses are the second round of

Gov. Gary Davis’ educational incentive program.

The program is based on the Academic Performance Index, the ranking

system mandated by Davis’ Public Schools Accountability Act of 1999,

which lists each public school according to student performance.

Statewide, schools received a score between 200 and 1,000, based on

the Stanford 9 test results. The state has set a target score of 800 for

every school. Each school that ranks below 800 is required to improve its

score by 5% each year until it reaches 800. Schools that receive an 800

or higher are expected to maintain or improve that score each year.

These one-time bonuses of nearly $600 will go to the full-time

employees of the schools who met their target API score last year.

For each employee -- from the cafeteria workers who serve children

their lunch to the custodians and teachers, who will receive a check to

spend as they please -- the school will get an identical check to be

spent by each school site council.

It is this portion that teachers and administrators are most anxious

to get their hands on.

“We’re extremely excited,” said Mike McGuire, principal at Ensign

Intermediate. “It gives us the opportunity to do some things. It gives us

funds to contribute to programs.”

Some teachers suggest that if it all went to the school, or went to

all schools, they could be happy and have a clear conscience.

“I think it’s wonderful that they’re showing appreciation for the hard

work teachers do, but I would prefer they not attach monetary awards to

testing student performance,” said Gloria Hardy, curriculum leader at

Kaiser Elementary. “I would probably opt to distribute the money -- give

it to all schools and not tie it to testing.”

It is that cash for numbers that has many worried.

“What I am most concerned about is that it certainly supports teaching

to the test, and the test has a very narrow scope,” Palmer said. “I want

my teachers not to have that be the driving point behind their

instruction. We’re talking about whole human beings here.”

This is not to say those checks will not be cashed, Palmer added.

“Listen, everyone will be excited to cash that check, there’s no

question,” she said. “It just won’t come with the same joy.”

AT A GLANCE

The following schools met their target score on the Academic

Performance Index for the 2000-01 school year. The employees who were

working full-time at the schools at that time will each receive $591.32.

Part-time employees will receive a portion.

SCHOOL TOTAL FT EMPLOYEES TOTAL AMOUNT

Adams Elementary 39.97 47270.08

California Elementary 32.90 38908.82

Corona del Mar High 131.44 155446.04

Davis Elementary 53.99 63850.68

Ensign Intermediate 69.28 81933.22

Estancia High 106.57 126033.82

Harbor View Elementary 46.97 55548.54

Kaiser Elementary 58.38 69042.46

Lincoln Elementary 57.95 68533.92

Mariners Elementary 49.90 59013.68

Newport Elementary 44.54 52674.74

Paularino Elementary 48.34 57168.76

Pomona Elementary 49.77 8859.94

Rea Elementary 46.00 54401.38

Sonora Elementary 39.60 46832.50

TeWinkle Middle 77.82 2032.96

Victoria Elementary 44.98 53195.10

Whittier Elementary 62.09 73430.04

Wilson Elementary 45.78 54141.20