Seniority-based pay

As soon as I read last year that the teachers union was demanding (or they strike) all the 13.2% funding increase from the legislature as a union teachers’ pay increase, I knew that there were going to by layoffs next year. That state funding was a one-shot increase and by demanding it all as a pay raise for teachers only, they increased the floor pay base for teachers alone to the point that it is totally unsupportable to support from ongoing funding. And the state funding was to support all basic education expenses, not just teachers.

Increased overall pay does not get us better, higher-quality teachers in the union-demanded seniority-based system, instead of a quality better pay for better performance system. In seniority, the most money goes to the oldest teachers just hanging on at minimum performance level until they can get a very good retirement. In this system the best teachers all leave for more profitable fields of employment rather than stay teaching.

If the system paid for excellence in teaching, based on student ratings and performance, then more teacher pay should get better teachers.

Eric Johnson

Spokane