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Friday, Feb. 18, 2011 | 2 a.m.
School budget meeting
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KSNV coverage of Clark County School Board meeting to discuss budget crisis, Feb. 17, 2011.
Carolyn Edwards
Gov. Brian Sandoval addresses the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at a luncheon held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas.
Sun Coverage
Sun archives
- Can teachers learn to do more with less money? (2-3-2011)
- Chancellor: University tuition would have to go up 73 percent to cover Sandoval budget gap (1-27-2011)
- School officials warn of jobs cuts, larger classes under proposed budget (1-26-2011)
- A steep climb for Nevadans (1-26-2011)
- Soft words during State of the State hide Nevada in pain (1-25-2011)
- Teachers not pleased with most of Sandoval’s speech (1-25-2011)
- In response, Democrats say taxes might be part of budget solution (1-24-2011)
This has all the makings of fiscal chaos:
Before the Clark County School District knows how much money it’ll have for the next two years, it will first have to:
• Negotiate contracts with teachers, administrators and clerical staff.
• Talk employees out of pay raises they were scheduled to receive.
• Decide whether to lay off of as many as 3,800 teachers and others, or cut 33 days out of the school year, or cram so many students into classroom as to risk making them unmanageable.
• Adopt a final budget by May.
And then, maybe by late June at best, the district will know how much money it has to spend under the budget hammered out by Gov. Brian Sandoval and the Legislature.
This was all laid out Thursday at a special meeting of the School Board.
“This is devastating all the way around,” said Joyce Haldeman, the district’s associate superintendent and chief lobbyist.
School Board President Carolyn Edwards said, “For all of the teachers and support staff out there, this is not what we’re going to do.”
She said these issues are subject to negotiations with the teachers union and others. But she noted that “rumors are already running wild.”
Teachers union President Ruben Murillo said in an e-mail about contract negotiations, “Just starting. Nothing to report.”
Sandoval has proposed significant funding cuts in K-12 education to help balance the state budget.
And he has proposed taking money the district has banked for bond payments on school construction — also to help balance the state budget.
Sandoval wants to take $300 million in debt service reserves to shore up the budget. Later, $150 million would be returned to the district for salaries and other operating expenses. The School Board, some members close to tears, voted 7-0 to oppose using the money to balance the budget or “for any other purpose” not approved by voters in the 1998 vote for the multibillion-dollar bond that created the reserves.
Statewide, Sandoval wants more than $425 million in debt service reserves reassigned.
The district’s options are limited.
School Board member Linda Young wondered whether the district could sue the state to stop the use of debt service reserves.
Bill Hoffman, the district’s top lawyer, said no legal action could be taken until after the Legislature approves a budget. If lawmakers agree to raid the funding, which is unclear this early in the session, the district might argue the move is illegal, Hoffman said.
“We’re faced with a situation where we originally said we were going to do one thing (with the money) and the public expects that to happen, and now the circumstances have changed,” Hoffman said.
“That one thing,” he added, “is that the money was going to be used for capital things rather than operational things.”
John Cole, the newest board member, was on the committee overseeing the voter-approved bond in 1998.
“We’re robbing Peter to pay Paul,” Cole said. “We’re robbing the future to pay the present.”
Jeff Weiler, the district’s chief financial officer, said the district might sell new bonds, but they would carry higher interest rates and hurt the district’s ability to maintain and repair schools.
Haldeman said: “The message we’ll take to Carson City is we don’t approve of the governor’s plan.”
Obeying the rule of the law.
Is what Governor Sandoval now saying and modeling to the citizens of Nevada that we can decide which laws to obey and follow, and which ones we will disobey and disregard? What kind of precedent is he setting for the rest of us? Shall people pick and choose which laws they will follow?
No ruler on this planet would ever think of reversing the will and laws that their people peacefully and lawfully put into effect. Does Governor Sandoval believe he is above the law and people he serves? Good Lord!
This is the Republicants doing what they do best, trying to destroy the working people. B S's policies will do nothing to improve our fiscal situation. It does nothing to address the loss of revenue or try to improve revenue sources. His policies add to the deficit thru additional spending in the millions. His only concern is making sure that the people that put him in office do not lose any of their precious tax breaks or loopholes to dodge paying their fair share.
The Republicant party is out to destroy everything that makes life better for the average citizen. If they succeed in destroying the labor movement and Unions then they can destroy us all. This is not a Nevada situation, the Republicants are trying to do this nation wide.
The Republicants are trying to turn back progress for working people and their families. People do not remember what it was like to work employers that could choose not to pay you if you did not please them, or being them victim of some overbearing, ruthless and hostile supervisor.
I think that this economic meltdown was contrived by Republicants so they can try to reverse history. So far it is working pretty good.
Let them take pay cuts like everyone else has had to do...
yea great, if our already lowest rated school system turns to complete chaos - so be it.
Raises? Really?
B.S. plans to steal from CCSD. There isn't any other explanation for it. He wants to take money that doesn't belong to the state and use it for purposes that taxpayers haven't approved. How is this not theft, plain and simple?
If Sandoval steals this money from Clark County taxpayers, it will force the district to issue new bonds, which will put the district in further debt. All so Sandoval can continue to stroke his handlers in the mining, gambling and business communities.
This guy is a shyster, thief and coward and he has no place running a government.
Sandoval is taking points from Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin on how to call out the National Guard to fill State, Local and Educational jobs in case there is a walk out.
Calling out the National Guard at home is the metastasized version of their international diplomacy tool - the US Military. Republicans will are now preparing to use military diplomacy where ever they rule.
Unless I'm missing something Clark County has it's own taxing authority. Why does it need to go crying to the state if it needs more money? Just raise your own taxes if you feel the need.
STOP SPENDING all the money on teachers and administrators--cut benefits and salaries. Put a few bucks into the classrooms and bathrooms.
Teachers are making an average of $55,000 plus retirement benefits and health insurance up to about $90,000 with benefits. CUT SALARIES. End CSR--16 students per elementary class room is TOO EXPENSIVE and children benefit from LARGER CLASSES. 24 students at least.
BigStack,
Yes, Clark County has its own taxing authority, however the state also collects taxes of which a certain percentage is apportioned to statewide educational services. The taxes (and fees) collected by the state differ greatly in scope from those collected at the county level. Vehicle registration for instance. Gaming and other business taxes and fees for another.
Clark County School District has no statutory authority to begin taxing those sources of revenue, and to simply increase the taxes they are authorized to collect would do nothing more than punish local property owners for the state's decision to renege on its obligations to education.
Roseanrose,
I have no idea where you are getting the number of 16 students per elementary classroom. NPRI lies about educational issues, so I wouldn't put much credence into their schtick. CCSD teachers work with averages of 30 or more students in the elementary classrooms (gym, art, library and music teachers frequently teach double sections, meaning 60 or more elementary students at a time.)
Middle and high schools have 40 or more students per class on a regular basis. Get out from behind your computer and visit some of the schools in this district. See with your own eyes what is really going on before you spout off with inaccurate nonsense.
keystone6, don't even give roseanrose any attention. The person is a kook with an agenda.
While my only focus is the quality of education, not how happy adult employees are, I still think there are some incredible teachers that need to be rewarded. Sandoval's education plan has some great ideas that have worked in other districts, but it neglects the reward/positive reinforcement component of the Rhee/Florida plan that he's trying to implement. That's a very key component to the plan.
I think the Democrats, school districts, and unions should compromise with Sandoval and allow him to implement performance based compensation, and the ability to fire underperforming teachers, and the ability to lay off the lowest performing teachers as opposed to the newest, in exchange for more funding for bonuses for the teachers that are clearly making a difference.
improvelv;
Do you not believe that there is a correlation between how "happy" adult employees are and as you say the "quality of education" that they provide?
This isn't to say that low payed or "unhappy" teachers purposefully degrade the education they provide to the students, but rather that the constant attacks, pay cuts, benefit reductions, added work, increased class sizes etc. that make "adult employees" unhappy results in a degredation of the quality of work performed by the "adult employees?"
These are the same kinds of labor problems encountered in any business where the employees are taken advantage of by the employer.
The unions and the school districts have spent years "compromising" with people who want cuts to education. Teacher pay in this state has dropped, and while already among the bottom in the country in performance, Republicans want to take even more. Republicans say they don't want to raise taxes on businesses, but they want to cut pay and benefits from middle class workers to balance the budget, which you and I both know is a de facto tax increase on the middle class workers.
You want compromise? Tell Sandoval to talk to his buddies in mining, gaming and business. They've had it very easy in this state for many, many years. You want to talk about "shared sacrifice?" We can start when Sandoval's cronies pull a chair up to the table.
keystone, I agree that mining needs to start paying their fair share ASAP. I also agree that there's a correlation between the happiness of adult employees and how enthusiastic they are about teaching. That's why I think we need more money for bonuses for teachers that are making a difference.
Your suggestion for compromise isn't really a compromise. You asked for something from him, but you don't offer to do anything. Most places I read, the unions and democrats are asking to keep the status quo, but with more money. I don't think that's going to cut it, and I don't think it's fair to the kids.
Having what is essentially is a guaranteed job for life, as long as you don't commit a crime, is a joke. Not being evaluated based on some objective data (test scores ), is a joke. Acknowledging that there are terrible teachers in the system that have no business in the classroom, but not offering a solution for eliminating them, is a joke.
Flip side...paying the most important public employees some of the lowest salaries (taking training and education into consideration) is a joke. Having the Mining industry collecting record profits, shipping them out of the country, all while raping our land and not paying much of anything in taxes, is a joke. Limiting our options by making a "pledge" of no tax increases, regardless of what we find after significant cuts, is a joke. Regurgitating the Republican BS of "now is the worst time to raise taxes", is a joke. Never acknowledging the huge budget that the NDOT has, with the ridiculous number of useless projects, is a joke.
Businesses aren't hiring and companies aren't being created because there aren't any ideas and nobody has discretionary income like they had in the free credit days. Companies also streamlined their operations and realized that they had too much waste in the labor category, so people lost their jobs. The problems aren't due to business taxes. Tell you what...if I had an incredible idea that I could make a bunch of money on, taxes certainly wouldn't prevent me from moving forward. If I knew that hiring more employees would result in an increase in profit, taxes wouldn't stop me. That's a Republican sales pitch that doesn't make sense. Payroll taxes are about 7.6% of base salary and cash bonuses (and there are limits). When running the numbers, I really doubt that businesses are going to hold off on executing a profitable idea based off of the concern that the % might go up by 1 or 2%. Keep in mind, that's not off of total costs, that's just base pay and cash bonuses for employees. If the margins on an idea are that slim, where that small % makes a difference, it might not be the best idea anyway.
improvelv;
I don't think I disagree with anything you've said except:
"Your suggestion for compromise isn't really a compromise. You asked for something from him, but you don't offer to do anything."
Teachers have repeatedly compromised. Repeatedly. They've made salary concessions. They've made contractual concessions. They've taken on more work for less pay. The suggestion that teachers haven't compromised is, as you say, a joke.
This situation cannot be viewed as a snapshot taken today. There needs to be a historical perspective in any assessment of the compromises made between teachers and the state. Governors have taken from teachers year after year. Governors have done virtually nothing to bolster education in this state. Compromise is a dance, and so far the teachers of this state have been leading, and getting their feet stepped on, for years.
Keystone, I understand, and you're right, I should consider/address what's been done in the past. From the outside, it seems the compromises made in the past were simple-minded, expense cutting ideas. They weren't really changes to the underlying system, and how it's operated. I think the teachers just got screwed, but kept the same, basic model for operating the district and employees. I think that's just a way to create more divisiveness and bitter employees, regardless of how good or bad they are at their job. Not a true compromise, other than fewer jobs were lost. In a utopian world, the sides would truly work together with a common goal (improving quality of education and performance of the students), but realizing the true restrictions (finances, not legal contracts), and not attempting to pass the buck (blaming bad parents, even though they definitely have an impact, but it's close to impossible to enforce any penalties or rewards for their parenting skills).
What I want to see, as a parent and community member, is an almost complete overhaul of the underlying system/structure, using common sense methods that have worked in other districts, that are fair to everyone involved, but most importantly consider the impact on the performance of the students. Throw existing contracts out, and start over. Don't pick and choose things to add and eliminate, start from scratch. Maybe that just sounds good in theory, but not realistic, but that's what I'd like to see.
improvelv:
Ok, so what changes need to be made to the "underlying system" that are budgetary in nature?
The bottom line is that teachers need adequate pay. The school district needs to offer competitive pay and benefits to attract "good" teachers. The school district needs a certain number of teachers to provide adequate service to the students. There needs to be a baseline at some level. $20,000 for a teacher's base pay isn't adequate. They aren't selling cell phones or used cars.
This idea of "making it easier" to fire "bad" teachers is pretty ridiculous to me. That statement to me is a really thinly veiled attempt to permit school districts to get rid of teachers deep into their careers (near retirement age) in favor of hiring younger, cheaper teachers. It is a cheap tactic that the private sector has used for years to screw long time employees out of promised (and earned) benefits.
GO SB178. Now let's add the Oklahoma provisions to deny birth certificates to anchor babies until both parents establish they were legal residents. This DENIES BENEFITS TO ANCHOR BABIES. Per the 14th amendment, states regulate their citizenship.
keystone: you need glasses? I've not commented on taxing authorities. The LEGISLATION AND NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION show Class Size Reduction funding to school districts for 16:1 in elementary schools. Let's CUT THAT FUNDING.
Nevada teachers average $55,000 plus retirement and health care benefits and tenure up to $90K. Wisconsin teachers average $31,000.... CUT SALARIES.
Teachers might become "the most important" public employees WHEN THEY TEACH OUR CHILDREN TO READ AND WRITE, not before.
Roseanrose. You are a troll. You post inaccurate information and call it "fact" without citation. You are an agenda driven plant supporting a flawed agenda that the vast majority of taxpayers in Nevada don't support. The Sun recently reported and Jon Ralston last night reported as well that a significant majority of taxpayers support HIGHER TAXES rather than cuts to education and other services.
Limbaugh is on. Go fap and drink your kool aid.
keystone, I think the teachers and other union based employees are scared of the whole "fire the higher paid, more senior teachers" theory, and their fears are unfounded. I wouldn't be surprised if it were a scare tactic promoted by the unions. I've implemented and been a part of performance based systems and union based, treat-everyone-the-same-regardless-of-performance type systems in the private sector. I've not seen the type of firing in the former option like what you're describing. If you're a teacher that's producing good results (based on objective test score improvements and subjective reviews, primarily the former), then you would have nothing to worry about, if it were implemented the way I'd personally support. You just have to make sure that it truly IS implemented in the most objective way possible.
Literally every teacher that I've asked, acknowledges that there are bad teachers that don't deserve to be teaching. AS students, I think we all had the teacher that told us to read the chapter and then tested us on the material we read, using some test that was supplied to them. The fact that it's so difficult to fire these slackers hurts the good teachers, and it turns the debate into an "us versus you" type of debate. If the goal of the unions was the quality of the education and the performance of the students, then we wouldn't have a problem. But that's not their goal, it's job security for their members, which means holding back the teachers that perform, and stringing along the teachers that underperform. It promotes mediocrity and bitterness among the employees/teachers that are ambitious, enthusiastic, and eager to make a difference.
That's what I've personally seen, though I acknowledge that I haven't talked to every teacher in the district. It's also what I've experienced in the private sector.
improveLV:
I've worked in the private sector for quite a while in a marketing position for a major medical equipment company. In 2008, our Columbus office was downsized. I know three people who worked for the company for 20 years or more whose positions were eliminated, while I was kept on. The three let go were substantially higher paid, with families, and were in fact better performers than I was.
They were let go because they cost the company more in salary and benefits than I (single, no dependents) and those younger employees like me did. I've seen the very scenario I've described played out in real life. It most definitely happens.
You've dodged the question of how getting rid of "bad" teachers helps the budget. If you get rid of a teacher, you have to replace the teacher. The only way getting rid of teachers helps the budget at all is if you get rid of higher paid teachers in favor of lower paid teachers.
Please address the budget issue.
keystone, I've not intentionally "dodged" the question, I just responded to what I felt were the more important issues due to my own time constraints.
I know the topic of the story is the budget, but my point in bringing up the "bad" teacher issue is that it's something that the unions/districts can agree to (since it's what Sandoval wants), in exchange for minimizing the budget cuts. Right now, all I see from Horsford and the unions is complaining about the budget cuts, but no new ideas. I certainly wouldn't support more money for the same failing programs, especially in the fiscal crisis that we're currently dealing with.
If the contract stated that poor performing teachers are the first to be eliminated, and "poor performance" is defined largely based on year over year test improvements of their students, explain to me how the district to spin that so that they could get rid of the more senior, higher paid employees. Seems like pretty objective criteria to me. I suppose they could cut the senior teachers of subjects that aren't tested (art, etc.), but the agreements would have to take that into consideration. Tell you what"if you're focused on performance and quality, it would be a hell of a lot better than what we have now.
At your medical supply company, either the company policy wasn't that the lowest performing employees are the first to be cut, it was a coincidence that they were higher paid and lower performing than you, or the company didn't follow through on their obligations. You can certainly bet that if a district didn't follow through on the rules for layoffs, there would be quite a few lawsuits (parents, etc.) to follow. The sides just have to use their brains when structuring the agreements, because yes, both sides are going to be dishonest whenever possible, so the employee agreements have to keep them both in check.
greasy brian sandoval...
can take that phony used car salesman smile...
and shove it where the sun don't shine...
that maggot favors mining over our kids...
screw greasy brian...
it is time to kill his political career...
right now...
this is a call to arms...
greasy brian must go down!!!
Teachers union you should stop playing ball and strike!After that Nevada good luck finding any native speaking teachers.Maybe you can find some in Macau?You already get paid lousy wages while having to shell out big bucks for your education.
Who would have thought teaching would be a terrible career choice?It once was an honorable position.BTW,not advisable to study or teach here. Not a wise move.Teachers should start a petition to recall Sandoval.Remember who did this to you your local Republican Party!
roseanrose said: "Per the 14th amendment, states regulate their citizenship."
Where the heck does it say that in the Constitution?
roseanrose said: "The LEGISLATION AND NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION show Class Size Reduction funding to school districts for 16:1 in elementary schools. Let's CUT THAT FUNDING."
As I've told you numerous times, the school district doesn't abide by the law requiring 16:1 in the primary grades. It simply doesn't happen.
Before we even start raising temperatures about cutting teacher positions I hope everyone will look at the fluff that is apparent in the School District. Everywhere you look are programs of limited utilitarian purpose. Do high school really need to teach photography? Extracurricular programs are fine in times of plenty but do we need to pay coaches extra for the time they devote to dance or bowling or drum line? Fewer extra curricular activities means more time to study - by the way did you know kids in many schools no longer even have homework? Everyone is so concerned they have time for fun. FUN? This is school they aren't supposed to have fun.
Clark County need money.... All they have to do is CUT THE OVERPAID FIREMEN SALARIES IN HALF THIS YEAR ...THEN CLARK COUNTY WILL HAVE ALL THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THEY NEED...
Dear Nevadans, It's time to rally for "We the People"...If we don't unite, democracy will fail in the country it was invented in.SEE YOU MONDAY!KAREN BENZER COUNCIL COORDINATOR, MOVEON.ORG OF SO. NV. Please see important information below from Danny Thompson, Executive Secretary Treasurer of the Nevada AFL-CIO, regarding upcoming rallies in Carcon City and Las Vegas in support of Wisconsin workers. Danny L. ThompsonExecutive Secretary Treasurer nv.aflcio.org/nevada URGENT!YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION NEEDED TO: ALL AFFILIATES FROM: DANNY L. THOMPSON DATE: FEBRUARY 18, 2011 RE: RALLY It has never been more important than now to stand in solidarity with Wisconsin workers and workers around the country -- including Nevada workers -- who are under attack from politicians bent on destroying the labor movement! Please plan to attend a rally on Monday in either Carson City or Las Vegas. Show your support for workers' rights, and express your outrage at the attacks being leveled against them. 12 Noon Monday, February 21, 2011Front Steps of the Nevada Legislature401 S. Carson StreetCarson City, Nevada 12 Noon Monday, February 21, 2011Front of the Grant Sawyer Building555 E. Washington AvenueLas Vegas, Nevada All week long there have been rallies, crowds spilling into the streets, seas of people marching together in solidarity -- not in Egypt -- in Madison, Wisconsin! The Governor has proposed draconian measures that take away workers' rights and voices. This is happening across the country. Don't sit home. Stand up for yourself and for Nevada workers. Attend the rallies on Monday.
Can anyone tell me how using test scores is a fair and equitable way to judge a teachers performance. Other then the test itself there is no constant. Every child is different, every teacher is different, every classroom is different, every administrator is different, every is different to a point that time would have to be longer then a humans life to have any value. All these things can be manipulated (and they will be as the stakes become higher) to the point that a good teacher could be viewed as bad and a bad teacher according to a test will be seen as a good teacher. To believe this is not going to happen makes us all look very naive and foolish. Just as foolish as anyone is who is believing a politician is going to bite the hand that feeds him. Not going to happen. Who is to really say are education system is broke. Again when we compare our education system to other countries in the world we never are comparing apples to apples. To believe people are going to be fair and just is like telling the people if we give a tax break to the wealthy they are going to hire more people out of the kindness of their heart. The reason people become wealthy was definetly not because of the kindness of their heart. Just remember the poorest families children fight for the wealthiest families money still today. Fair and equitable not, but whats in it for me is the American way whether we like it or not.
Interest due on bond funds in my book is like a trust guaranteed to the investers. Once a public entitiy starts invading this trust, the issuer's reputation will be junk bond status as far as attracting any future investment.
justthink, the way to use test scores is on year over year improvements for a particular student, so they're judged based on their own improvement, not how their raw score compares to any other student in the district. From what I understand, an even better tool would be the Value Added Modeling programs that are out there, which also take other factors, like demographics, into consideration. They've compiled years of data across the country, so they're able to identify patterns.
It's certainly going to require constant adjustments to account for new factors, but I feel VERY strongly that it would be exponentially better than the system that's currently in place.
If I were a good teacher, I'd want my accomplishments to be acknowledged and appreciated. The current system essentially treats all teachers the same, unless they get an advanced degree, which many studies have shown has little to no effect on effectiveness, especially a degree from a tier 4 school like UNLV.
Improvelv thanks for the comment, but how can a teacher be accountable for a particular student year after year when a teacher might only have that particular student for say the beginning of one school year to March when the test is administrated or until that students moves to another school. Can you imagine all the different things that can happen in a students life from year to year or better yet week to week that can drastically effect a test score. What does being a so called good teacher have to do with having their horns tooted. A truely good teacher would have little time to spend on worrying about having his horn tooted because of his immediate caring of the students in front of her/him. Do you believe that the American capitalistic way is capable of fair and equitable consistent adjustments? Sometimes treating all the group the same way is not all that bad of an idea for a whole lot of reasons. What would consistent adjustments actually look like? To account for all the changes that can and will have to occur to accomplish a so called system of fair consistent adjustments alone would be overwhelming. Fair and consistent adjustments for some reason reminds me of the Patriot Act in which if you do not agree with how fair consistent adjustments are administered then you are not a fair and consistent person maybe unpatriotic too. The attempt to accomplish this would only be capable of mass mishandling to say the least. The American Education System has not changed its way to where it is, it has evolved through many years of trying to do the best it could with what it had to work with and many times during educations travel through the years it had to go back to the way it was. In fact upon close review it is mind boggling of how the new and improved way to do things failed because of the lack of understanding why things were the way they were. Sadly during those times it also didn't occur injury free as many who did not go along blindly were labeled non-team players and to some point unAmerican. This caused a lot of personal and family injury that will never be healed with a simple I am really sorry. Improvelv I respect your opinion but I have a hard time agreeing with it. The idea of just give them(education)less money and have them deal with it can in anyway improve education is just hard for me to believe. I have never seen a business whether private or public downsized its way to prosperity. Improvelv again please do not view my comment as personal and thanks again for your comment.
justthink, I absolutely don't take offense to your comment at all, but I appreciate your tone. I think this is a good exchange. I think your post has some great thoughts/concerns, but I based on what I've experienced in the private sector, performance based systems are much more effective than blindly treating everyone the same. I definitely do NOT think we need to give the districts less money, but unfortunately right now, it's an inevitability. I think Sandoval absolutely needs to allocate MORE money to reward the teachers that are seen as "good performers".
I think your comment about how good teachers wouldn't care about having their horn tooted ignores the fact that we're all human, and motivated by the same things. Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment...these are basic motivation tools that have been studied in psychology for a long time.
It's not even so much about the "reward" money. It's about having your good, hard work acknowledged and respected. So many teachers that I've talked to feel that they're not respected in the community, and they hate that, so I think it would be effective to implement a system that would start to acknowledge the good work that they do.
I don't know all of the details of all of the "value added" systems, but even if it's just primarily year-over-year improvements on tests, I think it's A LOT better than what we have now. But I think most take demographics, grade level, etc. into consideration. It's not possible to have any system that's absolutely perfect, that addresses every single issue, at least not right out of the gate. The idea would be to address 80% (for example) of the issues, and assign a higher weight initially on manager reviews, and constantly tweak the system each year to increase that % and rely less on subjective reviews. I think that too many people are concerned with the one-off situations, and they raise those issues as if they discredit/disprove the entire performance based systems, but I think if a system is integrated properly, we'll see dramatic improvements.