40% of DC Teachers Eligible for Bonuses under Rhee's IMPACT system refused to take them

[Hannah Bell]

January 26, 2011 -

One of former D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee's signature initiatives was to reward good teachers with bonuses of up to $25,000. To qualify for the full amount, teachers have to score high marks on their evaluations, teach at schools with majority low-income children, and teach a tested grade and certain subjects. Bonuses were offered to 636 teachers, but 40 percent turned down the money.

Eric Bethel, who taught at Marie Reed Elementary School, is one such DCPS superstar. He recently accepted a $20,000 bonus.

"It was very hard to turn down an opportunity to get a bonus check that was nearly half of my entire salary for a year," he says.

...But these teachers had to agree to give up some job security. For example, they could lose their jobs because of program changes or enrollment declines at their schools.

Diane Terrell, a teacher at Stoddert Elementary School, refused her $5,000. She says a bonus shouldn't come with strings attached.

"You think you can come and wave money in front of us and we will give up everything to you. I could not do that," she says...

http://wamu.org/news/11/01/26.php#40298

This astounding expression of alienation from the bonus program, which received strong editorial support from the editors of the Washington Post, has still not been reported in the Post newspaper.

http://realeducationreformdc.blogspot.com/2011/01/40-of-teachers-eligible-for-bonuses.html

[Hannah Bell]

1. not to mention the massive failures of rhee's "turnaround" schools:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/dc-schools/what-rhee-wrought.html

[DrDan]

2. and now this cretin is driving reform in Florida

[Le Taz Hot]

3. Sounds like a fine replacement

for Arne Duncan, should the need arise. :sarcasm:

[dkf]

4. Gee I thought they turned it down in solidarity with fellow teachers.

Turns out they want to protect their own job.

[rfranklin]

5. Defending the tenure system does help fellow teachers...

Are you buying into the right wing meme of the "selfish, greedy teachers?"

[Fumesucker]

6. So here you have teachers that are clearly superior and they turn down a bonus..

I wonder how many banksters turn down their bonuses?

Why would clearly superior teachers be afraid for their jobs to the point that they'll turn down a bonus?

The superior person is hired first and fired last in the corporate world, right?

[dkf]

7. Well guys like Fabrice Tourre didn't trade bonuses for tenure because they knew the job wouldn't

Last long. So maybe they would trade a bonus for a steady salary and permanent lifelong employment too if given a choice.

[Fumesucker]

8. Your comment might make more sense if I had a clue who Fabrice Tourre is..

I'm guessing an athlete?

Are you going to regale me with stories of banksters turning down their bonuses so that they can have permanent lifelong employment?

Somehow I don't think you're going to be able to find many examples of that.

[dkf]

9. The fabulous Fab, banker at Goldman who sold mortgage backed securities to orphans and widows

Maybe he would have been more responsible instead of trying to make a quick buck and get out.