Teachers: Go Straight to Jail, Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200.

Merit-pay questions mount: Will teachers lose their jobs? Their careers? Is the bill legal? " McClatchy

I have examined an article on merit-based pay for teachers. The article essentially covers the issue in it's relation to the Florida education system, which is attempting to use the merit-based system for paying it's teachers. The article goes through the various levels of he issues. It touches on the concerns that many teachers have; many fear the implications of the new system effecting their tenure, or job security, their wages currently, and some feel that this bill is degrading to them. The article addresses these concerns and the answers are as follows, the teachers already having tenure would be covered to an extent, new teachers however would have an annual contract and could be fired at any time. The wages of teachers already teaching would not change but all raises in the future would depend on the new system.

The article then addresses the issue of how the actual teacher assessment would be carried out. The system would focus mainly on 'student achievement' which would be assessed through tests of the students. Other methods that would go along with this main method would include evaluation of teaching habits, classroom techniques, discipline, &c.

The article itself is heavy on all aspects of rhetorical devices. The initial worries of teachers and the implications of the new system are very heavy on the pathos. The teachers are very clearly worried about their livelihood. The teachers are having a very emotional reaction to the proposal, and empathy makes the reader feel what they feel. "They fear it would cut their future pay, strip away their job security and blame them for the failings of students and parents." This shows the emotional anguish of teachers, the helplessness in the face of this proposal.

The article similarly uses logos in it's discussion of how the plan might be used in it's assessment of teachers. The article lays out the logical structure of the assessment in the hopes of convincing the readers of the rationality of the assessment methods in determining the quality of the teachers. The article illuminates the plan to have teachers on annual "probationary" contracts, as a logical way to eliminate teachers who are found to be "bad" as they call them. This is an attempt to show the logic behind the proposed system, and it's goals.

The article also raises heavy ethos. There are many critical ethical issues tied in with the arguments over merit-based pay. For example is it ethical to be able to assess teachers every year and to have the ability to fire teachers on the spot if they do no meet assessment standards? The article addresses the legality of the bill. The bill itself is a direct violation of the Florida constitution, guaranteeing workers, "collective bargaining for wages and benefits as a fundamental right." This in particular is an important point to consider in the issue as it is one that very well may make or break the entire bill.

I believe that this article brings up quite a few important points on the topic of merit-based pay, and I will certainly want to include the moral/legal issues in the article. It is certainly a good source for my paper.