New Initiative to Employ Merit Pay

ANTHONY PEREZ
Staff Writer
In an effort to receive additional funding from the state, the Alhambra Unified School District (AUSD) is planning to apply for the Race to the Top (RTTT) initiative issued by California’s Office of the State of Education. AUSD’s participation in RTTT, enforced by a national agenda, would impose stricter standards in the classroom. Among other agreements, AUSD would comply to the full examination of teacher competency as shown by student performance. In other words, student scores from standardized testing would determine whether a teacher receives a raise in pay or is fired.
It is important to remember that RTTT is not the only piece of legislation impacting education at the moment. On Jan. 7, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed California State Senate bills SBX5 4 (Romero) and SBX5 1 (Steinberg/Brownley) into legislation. In essence, these bills give the parents with students in predetermined low-achieving schools the right to move their children to any higher-achieving school district. These bills also allow the creation of charter schools contingent on a simple majority of parental consent.
The recent increase in popularity for charter schools can be attributed to the misconception that they are private schools. Some parents believe charter schools will be the right decision for AUSD.
“Students would have a better opportunity if there was private funding for schools. Charter schools are the perfect combination between private and public education,” said Maria Chavez, the parent of an AHS student.
However, charter schools can be similar to private schools in the manner in which they accept students for enrollment to their institutions. For example, a student with a disability may not be accepted to a charter school, because they would lower overall test scores for that school.
School districts across the country now have the opportunity to appeal to their respective state for funding because President Obama has allocated a one-time $4.4 billion budget for the RTTT initiative. However, as mentioned earlier, AUSD would only receive money if they comply with the implications attached.
Although these new reforms sound beneficial, the California Teacher’s Association, among other unions, is in complete opposition to the legislation. Alhambra Teachers’ Association (ATA) Vice President and math teacher Dr. Rosalyn Collier is one of many teachers at AHS infuriated with the recent outcome of the Senate bills attached to RTTT.
“A better [alternative to charter schools] is to take that money from the federal government and pour it into our public schools. Give us the money so we can provide better AP classes, give us the money so we can provide more than one art teacher, give us the money so we can provide for our students so that [they can attend a school with good programs], not [one] where we segregate them off,” said Collier.
Because AUSD is currently facing a $28 million budget cut, any additional funding for our schools is needed. However, many students side with teachers and feel that complying with RTTT might be a risk they do not want to take.
“Teachers’ [pay] really shouldn’t be based on the performance of the student, because even if a teacher is putting their best effort to teach a class, there will always be students who, unfortunately, don’t do well just because they don’t want to be in school,” said senior Gustavo Vasquez.
In addition to the changes  attached to RTTT, teachers  will  have to adapt their teaching styles  in all subjects to comply with national standards, which  would result in more testing  for students.