Teachers want to terminate pay proposal

Jeff Benson

Local teachers joined their state counterparts in vowing to fight a

proposal made by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger -- in his State of the

State speech this week -- for a merit-based pay system for teachers

that would do away with a long-standing method based on tenure.

Newport-Mesa teacher’s union president James Rogers said he and

members of the California Federation of Teachers believe the governor

reneged on a deal he made last year with state education officials.

It called for the education system to begin getting back some of the

$2 billion it gave up to help balance the state budget.

“I feel the governor has gone back on his word after the initial

agreement that took place last year,” Rogers said. “They shook hands

on this.”

Rogers said he wasn’t sure how merit-based pay would affect the

Newport-Mesa Unified School District salary structure or even how it

would be gauged.

“There’s a misconception about tenure pay,” he said. “Some of the

teachers’ salaries are based on experience and some based on units

they’ve passed beyond their bachelor’s degrees. As far as merit pay

goes, it’s fine if you’re selling life insurance. Or making widgets.

Or whatever business you’re in. But in education, teachers are

working with as many as 35 kids in their classrooms, and each one is

bringing into the classroom a series of outside influences that

educators have no control over.”

Rogers said his greatest concern is how teachers would be able to

coexist and share ideas in such a competitive system.

“Another part people don’t understand about teaching is that

teachers depend upon collegiality among their peers, which is similar

people working on standards together,” Rogers said. “My personal

feeling is there will be a lack of collegiality, because money is a

driving force for people. Teachers won’t want to share their secrets

of how they’re successful in a certain area.”

State Supt. of Education Jack O’Connell said he looks forward to

working with the governor on improving schools, but he felt

California’s students are being underfunded compared to students

nationwide.

Estancia High School Principal Tom Antal opted to take a

wait-and-see approach to the governor’s proposal. However, he was

intrigued by the idea of merit-based pay, barring that local

collective-bargaining agreements in teacher unions remain unchanged.

Antal said the governor faces a huge political barrier before his

proposal could become a reality. Unions would likely mobilize before

any action was taken. Budget cuts, especially in education, are

always closely monitored, he said, and some teachers will likely

argue they’re disadvantaged by teaching children with varying skill

levels or in underachieving schools.

“The whole thing is scary enough that a lot of political might

from the education community will rise up before anything happens,”

he said. “The state will find that the governor entered into

passionate territory.”

That much was clear from the state federation’s response to

Schwarzenegger’s speech.

“ ... We know that we are in for a huge and difficult fight -- one

that we have to win. It starts now,” federation president Mary Bergan

said in a news release. “ ... Let’s show Arnold who really represents

the people.”

* JEFF BENSON covers education and may be reached at (714)

966-4617 or by e-mail at jeff.benson@latimes.com.