To: Judy Griffin (NY-21)
Nassau County Parents against Governor Cuomo's "Incentive Pay" to "Highly Motivated" teachers
As parents who are residents of the State of New York, we strongly oppose Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to give merit pay for teachers rated “Highly Effective” on the State’s flawed teacher evaluation system. We stand with our teachers, so very many of whom were already truly highly effective before the implementation of the new APPR standards. We insist that you do not impose this merit pay upon our teachers and our school districts. As parents, this is our commitment to our children and to our teachers.
Our teachers should never need to compete with each other in this way; they should work together for the good of all of our children. This competition for “merit” pay will also lead to an increased emphasis on testing and teaching to those tests – rather than on teaching our children how to learn and how to develop their best talents and abilities.
Our teachers should never need to compete with each other in this way; they should work together for the good of all of our children. This competition for “merit” pay will also lead to an increased emphasis on testing and teaching to those tests – rather than on teaching our children how to learn and how to develop their best talents and abilities.
Why is this important?
Our children should not be used as pawns in this game of teacher evaluations based on test scores. The " incentive pay" seems more like a bribe to get teachers to accept and embrace the Common Core and high stakes testing. Too many government officials are not taking into account the effect, this pressure box of teaching to the test, is having on the children.