A recent article reported that Secretary of Education Arne Duncan wants first-year teachers to be paid $60,000 a year, and be able to make upwards of $150,000 per year. Undoubtedly, Duncan buys into the popular belief that money leads to motivation, even though research to support this assumption is somewhat lacking.
In addition, Duncan may be hoping that a higher salary scale will attract more talented individuals, even though individuals who choose a career based on earning power may find themselves changing jobs since it is difficult to do something every day that you do not enjoy. Does money actually motivate teachers, or are there other factors?
Autonomy
When it comes to true motivation, teachers are arguably the same as the general worker that wants some level of autonomy in their job. In other words, teachers want to be able to make decisions about outcomes, activities, facilities, and learning environment. Obviously schools needs to maintain some level of consistency when it comes to teacher freedom, but oftentimes the educator feels more connected to their job when they can make crucial decisions.
Recognition
When people work hard in their job, they want to be recognized for their efforts. Some individuals are content with selfless service behind the scenes, but this doesn’t change the reality that it is always nice to be appreciated. Recognition may not substitute for a basic level of pay, but it can certainly lead to a general sense of satisfaction if administrators regularly provide good teachers with positive feedback in such a way that it is obvious that the teacher’s effort is being noticed.
New challenges and involvement
Ultimately, workers want new challenges in their job, and they want to feel like they are part of the process. The challenge with today’s educational landscape is that many teachers feel helpless to get involved because there are so many districts locked into ongoing battles of attrition between administrations and unions. Therefore, even though unions are theoretically supposed to create new opportunities for teachers, they have effectively stalled some educational processes and removed many chances for teachers to innovate.
Ultimately, Arne Duncan may find a way to pay teachers more money, but this will not necessarily create an environment where teachers are any more motivated. In addition, higher pay may cause bad teachers to feel compelled to stay in their positions and hide behind their tenure. Few will complain if they are paid more, but Duncan may need to explore other avenues if he really wants to improve education in America.
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/starting-salary-teacher-60-000-131728091.html
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-01/cu-fja012411.php
http://www.chartcourse.com/articleappreciation.html
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