It is no secret that teaching is one of the most underpaid professions in Oregon. The average salary for a teacher in Oregon is just more than $48,000, according to a 2007 survey by the Oregon School Boards Association. Teachers have traditionally received pay raises based on seniority rather than classroom performance, a practice Ballot Measure 60 may controversially reverse.
The provisions of Measure 60, the “Kids First Act,” clearly state that a teacher’s job security and pay increases should be based on job performance, not seniority.
Under the measure, if a district is forced to cut staff, educators with the most time on the job are not protected, and the teachers with the best classroom performance rates will be higher on the job security scale.
Teachers’ knowledge for the subject matter indicated on resumés, as well as their qualifications based on past classroom records, are set to be the factors that will dictate a teacher’s success rate.
Supporters of the measure point to three core values. First, they feel teachers should be rewarded for the work they do in the classroom.
Political science major and University junior Jenna Perry feels a teacher’s pay should be based on his or her competence.
“I think Measure 60 is a really good idea. It’s much more important for children to have a good education than have some older teachers getting paid for being there longer,” Perry said.
Second, the profession generates less interest because of its average pay, and the Kids First Act may have a greater influence in attracting driven and qualified professionals, supporters say.
Finally, many argue that despite any flaws in the bill it is important to consider what the measure would mean for children because the quality of teachers in their classrooms can determine their learning experience.
Despite Measure 60’s promising voice, the measure lacks clear guidelines of how educators would be deemed “successful.”
Oregon Parent Teachers Association President Anita Olsen is concerned about how a teacher would be evaluated. “How do you really evaluate who is a good teacher and who isn’t? There are so many factors,” Olsen said.
Many worry the Kids First Act might lead to more standardized testing and apply additional pressure on already low-income areas. Supporters of the measure see the vague language as a positive way for educators and parents to collaborate and find a credential system that works. But teachers and school principals are concerned the initiative doesn’t take into account inherent classroom inequality.
“It sounds to people like a good idea at first, but what many people don’t realize is how varied student populations are,” said Pamela Irvine, principal at Adams Elementary School in Eugene. “It isn’t fair to take high-achieving students and compare their teacher’s success against the success of a teacher with students who are maybe not as eager to learn for other reasons. I can’t think of a way to make the playing field even enough for the measure to work.”
The measure’s potential to create a hectic and competitive environment is another concern of Olsen’s.
“One of the things is the team aspect in schools will disappear under this initiative,” she said. “We are going to be looking at teachers who will be looking out for themselves.”
Other bones of contention with the measure include its cost. The measure is estimated to cost between $30 million and $72 million in the first year, and an additional $30 million to $60 million in state and local spending each year after that.
“We will be seeing cuts this year in education from the state budget, and this bill costs a lot,” Olsen said.
The measure is one of five on the ballot that were proposed by conservative political activist Bill Sizemore. Because of his anti-tax stance and the reliance of schools on those taxes, Sizemore has been described as “unkind to education,” Olsen said.
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