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By Brian Cochran, Lakewood

This Speakout has not been edited.

People do not understand what is going on in public schools in general and DPS in particular.
Yes, the news stories make it seem as though the teacher’s union is asking for more money while performing work of lower quality; however, as a second-year teacher I can say that basing teacher salaries on CSAP results is a terrible idea.

CSAP score did remain stagnant in the state but that does not tell the whole story. The tests have no bearing on the kids’ future or education and because of this many students regard the test as little more than a nuisance on the way to spring break.

Teachers can put all of their effort into convincing the kids to take the tests seriously but ultimately it is their choice. To be punished as a teacher for this is an unfair request and should not be made.

In addition to that fact, there is a shortage of qualified teachers throughout the nation. This notion that there are these unnamed masses of college students just counting down until they can be a teacher is a lie. Due to this shortage, many classes are overcrowded, some times to the point of students having to sit on the floor. Trying to teach in these circumstances can overwhelm any veteran teacher, let alone a newer teacher (such as me) which make up the majority of staffs at urban schools, where these problems are all too common.

Along with overcrowding, one of the recurring cries from parents of school children is that they do not want the schools to “teach to the test”. If salaries of teachers were directly linked to the test results there is little incentive for a teacher to do anything but turn their room into CSAP prep for 180 days per year. Studies show that kids will do better in their lives if they are exposed to a variety of materials and activities in school. CSAP based salaries sets the stage for teachers to do the exact opposite, and in turn actually harm the students.

Tying salaries to CSAP is also unfair to many teachers simply because of the fact that not all teachers have a CSAP in their subject or grade level.

Why should a music teacher have there salary lowered because the students in their school blew off the math CSAP, or what about a U.S. History teacher?

DCTA and Denver teachers approved a system that is a step in the right direction. Pro-Comp, the compensation package that has been in place for a few years, does allow for a teacher to collect an increase in salary if their students exceed expectations on the CSAP (it also takes away the raise if the kids fall below expectations). This is a sound idea because it rewards teachers who succeed but does not base a teacher’s entire salary on what the kids do on those three special days of the year.

To label the DCTA and Denver teachers and greedy or selfish is a narrow-minded viewpoint that perpetuates misinformation and hostility towards people who selflessly give themselves up to the needs of children. Many that teach in the public schools are earning less money as a teacher than they could earn if they used their degree in the business world.

Brian Cochran is a resident of Lakewood.

READER COMMENTS

Hmmmm, did anyone else notice that the OP advocates Procomp? I wonder why..... Is it because there is no mechanism for a teacher's salary to drop or for a bad teacher to be let go... nope, just up up up.

I wish I had that for my job.... no downside loss, but only upside potential. No accountability, but pay raises! Wooohooo

Goose and the Golden Egg!

Dear Dear Susan,
I would suggest that you find another vocation if you already need a rest after only 1 1/2 months of school. I am thankful you are not my child's teacher.
You are also mistaken in your analysis of who is the customer. Your paycheck is funded by the taxpayers, therefore they are your customers. The Children's increased knowledge is the product you produce based upon the quality of education you provide.
I would suggest that you stop blaming parents for all of the ills that plague the school system. There are many involved parents such as myself, that are sick and tired of the lame excuses provided by teachers and administrators over why they failed to provide the level of quality education I expect for the amount of tax dollars being spent per child at their school.
I am involved, I moved my child from the public school system to a private system. I am willing to spend the extra money to ensure a quality education is provided to my child.
You have been teaching in the public school system for so little time, yet you have already begun to chant the same tired mantra of blame it on the parents....sad....so very sad.

Dear I'm not fooled,
Teacher's customers are the students, not the parents. And remember, educating a child is many people's responsibilities. Research has shown that parent involvement is key to a child's success. I wonder how much involvement you have had, if you are expecting teacher's to do ALL the work.

Yes, schools are overcrowded because people choose the "high" schools and don't stay at the low schools that are closing. Principals accept too many students and put the burden on teachers...$$$ per each student. I am a first year teacher in 2nd grade. I have 34 students and a helper for 1/2 of the day. I have two Japanese students in my class. I work approximately 12 hours a day and have to take English Language Learner classes that require 7-10 hours a week in homework. Want to trade with me? I do need a rest.

This is one of the dumbest ideas I've heard. You can't make chicken salad without the chickens and you can't have a good class without good students. Much of the grades will be a product of responsible parents and genetics. Plus Denver has been tsunamied by a gazillion non-english speaking students that have nearly collapsed DPS with school closings.
What can the teacher do when they have to teach a class with 10 languages?

I am told that Cory Elementary graduated about 60 and only a handful went next door to Merrill Middle, an "English language learner magnet". At Merrill, kids spend a lot of school time trying to just learn how to spell Math instead of actually learning it.

I think a lot of people are in denial of how bad the language problems are in DPS. Good students and teachers are what makes a good system. When they start leaving, then no amount of money or programs can truly fix it unless it brings them back.

DPS is in such a downward spiral that at this rate it's scary to think what DPS will be in a few years. I hope all the mass chaos, out-of-control open borders advocates are happy. Not only are our good wages and jobs taken away, but our schools are collapsing under the burden.

Maybe some of the landscaping, construction, restaurant employers that hire the kid's parents should pay the extra cost incurred by DPS educating non-english speaking students. Maybe better yet let's make the Supreme Court pay for some of the cost since it's there decision to burden us with teaching non-english speakers no matter how many show up!

Yet another teacher bemoaning CSAP.
Public School education is the stuff of jokes and ridicule, why is that?
Perhaps instead of complaining about CSAP, the teachers should have allowed for a testing program that actually measured their competence/success?
I notice that Brian didn't say why CSAP is a problem, only that it is.
And I have to wonder at the intelligence of a teacher who, AFTER CSAP came into existence, chose teaching as a career anyway. If you KNEW that your pay was in some way tied to CSAP, and you don't find that acceptable, Seek other employment.
But please, don't claim to sacrifice and be selfless in your dedication to the field, then complain that your sacrifice and selflessness is "unfair".
Although it IS a great lesson in living a double standard, no?

Why not you give your students an incentive to take the CSAP seriously? Why not make it part of their grade, as you do with every other test you give your students?

Also, where are these overcrowded schools with kids sitting on the floor? What percentage of schools have kids sitting on the floor? 1%? 1/2% If so, it doesn't do much to explain the state of public education in general.

Finally, what are these studies that "show that kids will do better in their lives if they are exposed to a variety of materials and activities in school"? How do these studies test the alternative? I bet they're seriously flawed.

As in all endeavors, the leader who knows all of the rules by heart but also knows when to disobey them and how to motivate despite them is always the most effective. Tests and curricula provide framework but only creativity, connection with students, and selfless dedication can make a great teacher. It's not just another job for these teachers! They cannot be evaluated just by test scores because their contribution is far beyond anything that can be tested. I know! I had at least two of these extraordinary people as my teachers and they are very responsible for any success I may have enjoyed in life. Both of those teachers would receive very low evaluations in today's environment and would probably be forced out of the profession. If you think it is just another job...try it sometime!!!

Brian,
Your argument is the same typical ploy of many of today’s Educators. You don’t want testing of the students and you especially don’t want the results tied to your pay. Why is it that teachers want to be exempt from the same scrutiny every other working American must endure for employment longevity and increased salary??
When you think about it, perhaps testing is too subjective…perhaps we need a new method of evaluating teacher performance. Perhaps we should have a public performance review system similar to Angie’s List. Parents can then submit a graded performance review of each teacher and the teacher could be provided an opportunity to respond, but pay would have to be tied to the overall performance. Let’s be honest Brian, while the children are the product of your efforts, the parents are your customers and they should ultimately decide whether you have fulfilled your obligations to the taxpaying public or failed them.
I had to laugh when you stated “people who selflessly give themselves up to the needs of the children”…give me a break. Do you honestly believe for one minute that we (the public) see teachers as selfless people that chose to forego the vast riches of the corporate working world to impart wisdom and knowledge to children? You no doubt chose teaching because the career appealed to you for many reasons (none of which was selflessness) and I’m sure the same could be said for every other teacher, but to say you are making some sort of selfless sacrifice for the betterment of children is ludicrous. You provide a valued service as do many working American’s, but ultimately you have a job to do and your customers expect you to get it right or you shouldn’t be teaching.
Under PERA Colorado teachers are aptly rewarded with a retirement system that is superior to the private sector which includes the ability to place your Social Security dollars into a private fund. Spare us the typical teacher diatribe and just do your job. If you do a good job you will always have employment…the public has always valued good teachers.

This assertion about Parents concerned about "teaching the test" is bogus..

Parents, unless those parents are members of the education bureaucracy (especially teachers), aren't concerned about "teaching the test".
More are concerned what and how the students are being taught with or without a test.. The basics in math are not being taught the same and my 9 year old has to recreate the wheel every time she adds or subtracts ...... my 9 year old can't tell me who Benjamin Franklin is or what the Declaration of Independence is, but she can tell me about Rosa Parks all day long...

She came home one day last year, after she had heard about Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. for the third year (starting in Kindergarten)and asked me why Whites were so mean?

I told her "whites" are no "meaner" than any other race.. something the teacher evidently forgot to mention...

In most of the professions I've been exposed to there are metrics in place to measure how well the job is getting done. If you can't test the students on basic skills as Math, English and History you go from the number 1 school system in the world to number 19..

By the way, did we start falling in our standings before or after our Congress allowed unionization of teachers and the union took away teacher accountability?

I'm curious....

Sounds like the same game as the UAW... but that's a different story...

Denver schools have overcrowding?? If this is the case...why is Denver closing around 10 schools due to lack of students?
Everyone keeps yelling about CSAP, well it is needed to test the students knowledge.

Just as ACT and SAT tests are used for college testing!!

Get used to it and teach the children!!

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