Benton doesn’t support governor’s pay plan for teachers

Monday, January 18. 2010

When the Georgia House of Representatives debates Gov. Sonny Perdue’s new proposal for paying teachers, he won’t be able to count Rep. Tommy Benton among his supporters.

“I’m not real fond of the governor’s proposal for pay for teachers,” Benton acknowledged Monday.

In his state of the state address, Perdue proposed partially linking pay to student achievement, as measured on standardized tests, instead of on a teacher’s education level.

Benton takes issue with that “pay for performance” approach.

“It leaves out a large portion of teachers,” he complained. “It doesn’t take care of any support teachers like media, art, band, PE or vocational. They are not part of that equation for testing. If you’re not part of the curriculum, you’re left out of the incentive pay.”

The District 31 Republican also complains that the governor’s approach “treats students like factory products” who should all be alike.

“Technically, you would want your best teachers to teach students at the low end of testing scores to try to pull them up,” he said, something that isn’t likely to happen if pay is tied to standardized test scores.

Benton expects the governor’s proposal to be the subject of sharp debate as the legislative session unfolds.

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#1 okay on 01/19/10 at 07:02 AM [Reply]

Who cares what Tommy Benton thinks...he is the most unqualified of the entire assembly. He for big Goverment and high school taxes. He could care less for those of us who a left to pay the bill

#1.1 Speak Up on 01/20/10 at 07:57 AM [Reply]

You should care. He's the one making decisions on your behalf. If you don't like his decisions let him know...he's always open to hearing from his district. Your thoughts on the subject get you nowhere if you voice them here....tell Tommy Benton what you think...good or bad. That's the only way he's going to know.

#1.1.1 okay on 01/22/10 at 10:08 AM [Reply]

I have addressed my concerns with Mr.Benton, basically he has his mind made up and could care less what the person who pays the bill thinks. Ask him yourself about vouchers, he believes that the Goverment has the right to educate your children, and there is no room for home schoolers or private schools, if it takes one dime away from his failed monoply. We are in the botton 5 of the Nation.

#1.2 Jackson Countian for life!! on 01/20/10 at 08:31 AM [Reply]

Not sure who you are or what you think you know of Tommy Benton, but I can tell you I know first hand he was a great teacher and is a great supporter when it comes to our community and our kids wellbeing. Mr. Benton is correct in disagreeing withthe Gov. on this issue. As a teacher Mr. Benton supported all the kids the same, and the teachers should not be paid based on how the students score on tests.

#1.2.1 Parent of student on 04/06/10 at 02:50 AM [Reply]

Good Teacher???? My child was treated not that well by him. His attitude toward me was SO very unprofessional. Especially talking to me on the phone, though, it DID CHANGE, when he found out that the principle was on the other line listening....

#1.3 Emmett Delaney on 01/20/10 at 10:27 PM [Reply]

With all due respect Tommy is a great represenative who implements common sense into the issues at all times.

His voting record clearly indicates he votes with a conscious and as mentioned below he was a great teacher.

Paying teachers incentives to produce good grades is a well intended idea. Can't work though! Teachers won't want to go to disadvantaged areas, become involved in special education and our excelling students will suffer.

Maybe it would be a better idea to pay a bonus to the entire collective of teachers in our state if we could move the state of Georgia up in the national rankings. This way every teacher would be charged with an equal responsibility and recieve an equal return.

Teachers are such an important part of our country and I admit, underappreciated at times. Unfortunately, like in the case of any public employee, police officers, elected officials, etc,... it only takes one bad one to spoil the reputation of many. Teachers should always, after a job however, remember they are charged with a very special responsibility and do their level best at all times despite pay. If you accept the job, do your best.

#1.4 Struggling Student's Teacher on 01/20/10 at 11:40 PM [Reply]

Well I must say that I really don't know Tommy Benton, but I am glad that he is speaking out for those of us that would suffer even more because we believe that struggling students need devoted teachers. I teach three team taught classes, GPS Math classes, these classes serve your struggling students - Special education, ELL, Title 1, etc. - these students are not excellent test takers (in general). I work daily 7:30 - 4:45 at school on average, then from 7:00 - 12 midnight tonight at home preparing visuals to demonstrate specific concepts for the students.

Teachers like me, who choose to work with the students that struggle to 'make it through' because I believe that they are the students who will benefit most from my devotion. They are also the students that other teachers will often complain about being in their room, making them look bad. I get upset when I hear teachers making such comments now - if they associate pay with scores - then you will have even less teachers willingly teaching the struggling students!

As to your question, "Who cares what Tommy Benton thinks . . ", I do!!! As the teacher of those students that struggle to meet standardized testing requirements - often the poorest in our school, I already buy student supplies out of my pocket, take my personal laptop to school to ensure that I can record student grades, etc. (my 6 year old school laptop died this school year and I was informed that we did not have funds to replace/repair it), we have furlough days taken from our check monthly, and more if you need me to continue.

I truly believe that people do not understand the rural school needs and struggling learner education staff's current scrifices when they make such negative comments about those in the legislature that are willing to speak out for those of us that are working too many hours to be able to speak up for our own needs.

Thanks for letting me get this out there, now I need to get sleep so that I can rest and be prepared to get to school early so I can prepare for the students that will (under the proposed plan) ensure that I lose more money each month doing what I feel is meaningful to the future of our community.

#1.5 Concerned parent on 01/21/10 at 06:17 PM [Reply]

This dilema has been around for years.Most teachers try their best to educate their students. Some, in the Atlanta area doctor test scores to make their school look better. Most of the teachers problems are related to what the children are tought at home, before they hand them off to some Beauricatic school board to handle. Sure hope some new folks run for these offices. Teacher pay should be related to how much the children learn, but how do you do this?Obama wants to pay students to stay in school and better themselves so as to not be a burden on society later. This may be the only thing I have seen that he may be correct on. He certainly has scr____d everthing else up. Clinton was the first Black eye for the Democrats and now Obama has blacked the other eye, Just look at what happened in Ted Kenney's replacement election. I sure hope all Democrats have the same thing happen to them in their next Election. Back to Tommy, Parents want concerned Teachers. They will vote you out if you discard their feelings, but if you vote to pay teachers for improvement, the teachers will vote you out. I'm sure Tommy will find a tree to hide behind somehow.

#2 Benton is for educators, not the rest of us on 01/20/10 at 02:50 PM [Reply]

Are we surprised that Tommy is looking out for his own?

#2.1 Emmett Delaney on 01/21/10 at 10:12 PM [Reply]

Well, let us hear your side of the issue then.
Warm up crickets, I believe we will need you here in a minute!

#2.2 Struggling Students' Teacher on 01/21/10 at 10:42 PM [Reply]

Dear "Benton is for educators, not the rest of us",

May I ask just what you are for, if not educators. What do you recommend that we do to offer our children, at least, the knowledge that our generation (I graduated from high school in 1984) was offered. Would you prefer that teachers continue to be pressed to look outside of the classroom for income to meet their own family/children's needs - rather than focusing on your children's needs?

Just curious because you make me think that the portion of our student's that demonstrate disrespect - demonstrated in classrooms everyday - is representative of their parents. This (along with your ability to be online and posting your responses at 3:50 in the afternoon) while I, an educator that you do NOT support, was still at school helping a student prepare for a test. The student slept through many of our classroom instruction days, but I believe that he still deserves an extra chance since he was willing to stay after school to get that help. I do this because I have chosen to help ANY student that wants to learn at whatever time they choose to try - even though I know there are many others out there like you, that do not respect educators, to proclaim that you will always have your negative opinion of us as a generalized whole.

Thank you for your support.

#2.3 okay on 01/22/10 at 10:22 AM [Reply]

He is for all the children, thats why he flys the conferate flag in his yard

#3 Daniel Williams on 01/20/10 at 03:31 PM [Reply]

I agree with Benton 100%

#3.1 Struggling Students' Teacher on 01/21/10 at 10:43 PM [Reply]

My genuine appreciation as an educator.

#4 okay on 01/22/10 at 10:00 AM [Reply]

The only thing that will help the Goverment School System is vouchers.Competion solves all sorts of problems. Continously throwing money into a failing system has not worked. Ga is still in the bottom 5 of all States when it comes to education.

People like Benton just want to protect their own. Let the money follow the child.

#5 Benton is for educators, not the rest of us on 01/22/10 at 03:18 PM [Reply]

Here I am again, in the afternoon posting. I'm not a student, I'm a law enforcement officer who is a state employee. Guess what, I work evenings and weekends, don't get summers off or two weeks at Christmas and a week in the spring and fall, and I put my life on the line every day when I go to work. I also have been furloughed and will continue to be furloughed, so far more days than "educators". In fact, in 2008 and spring of 2009, I was furloughed when "educators" all got raises.

My complaint is how Tommy is silent when it comes to issues concerning other state employees, only speaking up when it comes to "educator" pay. I'm glad to have a job in this economy but wonder why we have two classes of state employees, "educators" and everyone else. It would be nice if my elected state rep was as concerned about taxpayers and other state employees as much as he is about "educators".

#5.1 Struggling Students' Teacher on 01/25/10 at 11:46 PM [Reply]

I am proud of the job you perform to help ensure that we live in a safe environment. I know that furlough days are difficult. Be greatful that when you get furlough days, it just means that you have a day off without pay. Furlough days for teachers, merely means that we have more days off from school, but we are still required to complete the same work load that we were before the days off. This means that students are still there 180 days, therefore we are to complete the preparation work at home - for free. We are not paid by the hour (because of those summers and Christmas holidays you mentioned) and when we take a furlough day - it is equivalent to two days pay (they take it as a work day without pay - since we are 190 day employees, it is our annual salary divided by 190 that is taken for one furlough day).

I do understand your frustration and I honestly do not mind taking furlough days, I work through the spending freeze and provide supplies from my remaining salary, and I am thankful everyday that I have a job. I would much rather do my job for less pay, than not to have a job! I just do not believe it is fair for teachers, such as myself, to further punish my efforts by offering additional pay to those teachers that work with the higher achieving students within our public school system.

I honestly did not know, I will take you at your word, that teachers recieved a pay increase last year. I have not seen it in my pay and can only assume that my taxes must have increased at an equal rate. Who knows?

Again thank you for your duty. I have full respect for all our men/women in uniform - I have immediate family members in Afghanistan and Haiti, so trust me I understand the sacrifices that you and your family face daily.

#5.1.1 Pay raise on 01/26/10 at 10:44 AM [Reply]

If I am not mistaken, teachers received a 3% raise in FY2008 (July 2008-June 2009) while many other state employees received no raise that year AND were furloughed during that time.

#5.1.1.1 Jackson resident on 02/01/10 at 01:25 PM [Reply]

Actually, it depends on the year of experience you are in. For instance, if you are in your 3rd year of teach you receive a raise possibly. If you are in your 9th year of teaching this is the level in which you receive a raise every other year. However I don't think the teacher received a raise for the 2008 year.

#6 Hammertoe on 01/25/10 at 07:49 AM [Reply]

“Technically, you would want your best teachers to teach students at the low end of testing scores to try to pull them up,” ____ this educational attitude is part of the reason our country is no longer a worldwide leader in many fields that require higher education such as engineering, math, and science. Instead of letting our best teachers help the gifted to excel, we try to "spread the wealth" and direct some of our best teachers to try to raise the scores of the less talented. I seriously doubt if these less talented students will ever develop alternative energy strategies, cure cancer, or solve any of the worlds problems that affect all of us. Obviously Mr Benton supports this strategy of "spread the wealth".

#7 Edjumacated on 01/27/10 at 02:38 PM [Reply]

Decreasing the state education budget does not equate to decreasing student performance. It may decrease some teacher and administrator pay, like the rest of us are enduring during the recession. I'm sick of hearing the teacher's unions scream that all this is "taking from our children." Bull.

#8 Teacher on 01/28/10 at 07:24 PM [Reply]

The fact is that implementing this idea will not rid the puplic schools of teachers who do not do their jobs. It will merely cause educators to dumb down curriculum and teach to the test in order to get the money needed to pay the bills at home. Once again, a government official who has no clue about education is throwing out a huge "fix-it" plan that has not been thoughtfully considered. What about teachers who already teach the cream of the crop? Since there is little room to improve excellence, will they be denied a raise? Consider those teachers who educate students in areas who do not have state-mandated testing (i.e., business education, PE, drama, ROTC, etc.)...how will their improvements be measured? Will it ultimately be up to administrators to decide who deserves merit-based pay? Just some questions to consider...

#9 ticked on 02/01/10 at 10:18 PM [Reply]

I see a lot of people talking like students that struggle in school. Are not worth the extra help they are given in school. Some of the students that would be used to grade the teachers to determine their pay have learning disablities. Take Aspergers for example this is on the Autism spectrum. You probaly think they are not my problem. With 1 in 96 children having been diagnosed with Autism already with the numbers growing it will soon be your problem. The "lower" kids need the extra help. If past teachers had had the mind set of only educating the "smart" kids. You would not be posting comments because an Autisic man invernted the computer. Your toilet would still be in the backyard with a moon cut in the door.Henry Ford the man that invented the model A was autisic. So to sum it up for you would not have a computer, Indoor plumbing or a car among other things. Do a little research on what the "lower" kids have grown up to contribute to your society before you say they don't matter.

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Benton doesn’t support governor’s pay plan for teachers

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