Lawmakers hear from union leaders, school officials on merit pay proposal

OKLAHOMA CITY — Before state lawmakers consider any merit pay plan for teachers they should keep their promise to bring teacher salaries to the regional average, the president of the state’s largest teachers union said Tuesday.

Speaking Tuesday at a House of Representatives hearing, Roy Bishop, president of the Oklahoma Education Association, said the state ranks last regionally and 47th nationally in average teacher pay.

“We should have a compensation system that has at its core, a fair, unbiased salary schedule that pays teachers strong competitive and professional salaries,” Bishop said. “Funding for any pay plan must be reliable and sustainable. Let’s start with the regional average and then implement a plan for quality professional development and improve working conditions.”

Bishop’s comments drew criticism from Republican House Speaker Lance Cargill.

“I believe in the politics of ‘can’ and not just ‘either or,’” Cargill said. “As I read your opening statement, to me that appears to create a false choice. I think we can do both. I believe we can have funding with reform and I think that, fundamentally, that’s what the people of this state deserve. I’d like to know why you disagree with that.”

Bishop answered, saying that promises made by state lawmakers haven’t been kept.

“Historically, people sat in your position and promised us the same thing and we haven’t seen those results,” he said. “We’ve heard merit pay as being a new concept, but these programs have been around since the 19th century. They come around every 20 years, and they don’t work because the people who put them together don’t fund them. They find out that more teachers qualify than they ever imagined and then we have unfunded mandates.”

Instead of merit pay, OEA officials said lawmakers should invest in professional development. “Oklahoma teachers need the tools and resources necessary to get the job done,” said OEA Associate Executive Director Dottie Caldwell. “The success of such programs as National Board Certification and the Oklahoma Teachers Improving Math in Middle School proves that quality professional development equals student success.”

Caldwell cited the Wayland Bonds Elementary School in Moore as an example. There, she said, school principal Robert Romines implemented a professional development program which was developed by the union and funded by the State Department of Education.

Romines said the program was a “huge” success.

“Although the planning and implementation of the program was initially difficult and time consuming, the benefits are evident. Students have prospered from the efforts put into this valuable curriculum development,” he said.

After completing the three-year program, fifth grade students’ pass rate jumped to 98 percent and sixth grade pass rates were 99 percent, Romines said. Over half the students in both grades were in the advanced level, he said.

Union officials said the program is proof that lawmakers should fund professional development programs.

“We know teacher success depends on supportive school administrators, sufficient tools and resources and effective professional development,” Caldwell said.

However, at least one teachers’ group sided with the House’s Republican leadership.

Officials from the Norman-based Professional Oklahoma Educators association said their members are “unhappy with the state’s current salary system” and would prefer some type of performance pay system.

Citing an on-line poll of 750 members from the group’s 3,000-member association, executive director Ginger Tinney said “nearly 80 percent of Oklahoma teachers are unhappy with the state’s current salary system and nearly 70 percent prefer some form of performance pay system.”

“We have heard from the teachers themselves that they are not afraid of accountability,” she said. “In fact, they are tired of seeing their accomplishments go unrewarded. Teachers feel they should earn more if they do better work.”

Former Marlow school administrator Rep. Ray McCarter questioned the group’s data.

“A couple of times you mentioned, ‘all Oklahoma teachers,’” McCarter said. “But actually what percentage of your membership — in your professional organization — are Oklahoma teachers?”

Tinney said about 3,000 of the state’s 53,000 public school teachers are members of the association.

“The point I was making was that when you say, ‘Oklahoma teachers support merit pay’ you’re only talking about a small percentage of teachers in Oklahoma that you surveyed,” McCarter said. “Out of 53,000 teachers only 750 of your 3,000-member group answered the survey. But saying ‘80 percent of Oklahoma teachers’ support merit pay is grossly overstated.”

Tinney said the small sample didn’t invalidate the survey.

“I’m not going to invalidate it (the survey) because of that,” she said.

Following a presentation by Bartlesville physics teacher Granger Meddar, the hearing broke for lunch and then reconvened in the afternoon to hear from school administrators.

Three other hearings on the issue are scheduled between now and Oct. 9.