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Betsy DeVos Wants Larger Paychecks For Teachers Who Deliver Results for Kids

Mar 29, 2019 12:00:00 AM

by Lane Wright

In a recent statement to Congress, Betsy DeVos, the nation’s education chief, made the following statement:
Students may be better served by being in larger classes, if by hiring fewer teachers, a district or state can better compensate those who have demonstrated high ability and outstanding results.
For some teachers, that was a shocking revelation. Not that she wanted to pay teachers more who have “demonstrated high ability and outstanding results,” but that she would even suggest “larger classes” and “fewer teachers.” I get why teachers want small classes. Trying to understand the academic, social and all-around human needs of dozens of individual children in a class is a daunting task. Bigger classes make their jobs harder, especially if they don’t have the tools and resources they need. So [pullquote position="right"]the idea of larger class sizes and fewer teachers is understandably alarming.[/pullquote] I also get why teachers would be dismissive of research that contradicts their world view—they’re the ones in the classroom, right? But the fact is, shrinking classes doesn’t get us the desired results we all want to see for our students. The only exceptions are for the very early K-3 grades, or when classrooms are reduced dramatically. In fact, since Florida made a class size amendment part of its constitution in 2002, some school districts have been fighting it because it’s simply impractical. Teachers, on the other hand, have more of an impact on student learning than anything else at school. There’s tons of research to back that up, which is probably why DeVos made the statement she did—that the very best teachers should be paid more to handle more. Spending money on teachers with a proven track record is money well spent! So let’s keep the big picture in mind and put our finite resources where they’ll have the biggest impact: Paying great teachers more.
Photo courtesy of @BetsyDeVosED/Twitter.

Lane Wright

Lane Wright is Director of Strategic Growth at Education Post. In addition to this role, he tells stories that help families understand how their schools are doing, how to make them better and how policy plays a role. He’s a former journalist and former press secretary to Florida’s governor, and he’s got a knack for breaking down complex education reform policy issues into easy-to-understand concepts. During his time at Education Post, and with previous organizations, Lane has interviewed teachers, students and local school leaders. He’s spent time watching them work in the classroom and helped them raise their voices on issues they care about. He’s also helped parents advocate—in the news, and before lawmakers—for a better education for their own kids. Lane, his wife, and three children live in Tallahassee, Florida, where his kids attend a public charter school.

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