Educators across Georgia are keeping a close eye on the Legislature to see what happens to merit-based teacher pay, a key part of Race to the Top reforms and a lightning rod for controversy, teacher representatives say.
Teachers fear “the devil’s in the details” of evaluation measures, although they should get more than the current “drive-by evaluations” most systems provide, said Tim Callahan, spokesman for the 80,000-member Professional Association of Georgia Educators.
But if officials move too early, evaluation instruments “could do harm,” Callahan said. He hopes legislators aren’t hasty if they take up merit-based pay.
“Professional educators don’t mind being evaluated, and they don’t mind accountability,” said Marcus Downs, spokesman for the 40,000-plus member Georgia Association of Educators. “But there is great concern when evaluation tools are developed without their input.”
Downs said the evaluation instrument should be crafted by people who work on the front lines, and teachers continue to worry about how student achievement will be tied to evaluation and pay.
But lawmakers say little is likely to happen in the Legislature because the federal program’s structure doesn’t call for much legal action now.
Rep. Tom Dickson, R-Cohutta, a member of the House Education Committee, expects lawmakers to wait until the 26 systems signed on to participate in Georgia’s Race to the Top reforms start making progress on pay-system development.
“That will really happen outside the Legislature” and could take until the next legislative session or later, he said.
Dade County, the only North Georgia system among the 26, netted $1.3 million in federal funding for the pay system and salaries for two posts to oversee data analysis and performance improvements, officials said.
Dade officials are just starting to attend meetings to learn about the system and requirements, but they said training has been hampered by bad weather.
Freshman Sen. Charlie Bethel, R-Dalton, said he has heard no rumblings in the Senate about teacher pay.
Bethel said any legislation connected to a merit-based system most likely would come from the governor’s office, rather than the General Assembly.
Senate Education and Youth Committee Chairman Fran Millar, R-Atlanta, echoed Dickson’s prediction.
Millar said lawmakers will be focused on budget issues and ideas on redeveloping the education funding formula, not the teacher pay system.
“For me, Race to the Top is a pilot to see how well this works, to work the kinks out, to get it right,” Millar said. “Based upon our experiences there and what we see in other states, then we tailor it to Georgia.”
Contact staff writer Ben Benton at 423-757-6569 or bbenton@timesfreepress.com.