Education

FREE AGENTS

August 18, 2005 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

GGW asks a provocative what-if question: Why can’t the best teachers have a say in the size and scope of their classes?

But what if each big high school could tag its Jaime Escalante type of teacher as a "Franchise Player" like they do in the NFL? He/she could earn twice the salary for teaching twice the kids; 50% more to teach 50% more kids; or keep things status quo. Heck, we see college professors with class sizes of 100 and 200 and 300. The point is that a great teacher with 100 kids is better than the typical teacher with 25 or 20 or 15.

While acknowledging the reasons this wouldn’t work (classroom sizes not the least among them), he points out that doctors and lawyers routinely make similar workload-vs-income tradeoffs. Or, if talking about money and motivation in the same sentence rankles the purists, the same thinking could allow a teacher to lecture 100 students at once rather than in groups of 25 four times a day. The unanswered question, though, is whether good teachers would willingly sign on to take on more kids, particularly if they consider forging personal connections with each student the reason why they’re good teachers in the first place.

(via Eduwonk.com.)

A version of this news article first appeared in the Blogboard blog.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Personalized Learning Webinar
Personalized Learning in the STEM Classroom
Unlock the power of personalized learning in STEM! Join our webinar to learn how to create engaging, student-centered classrooms.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Webinar
Students Speak, Schools Thrive: The Impact of Student Voice Data on Achievement
Research shows that when students feel heard, their outcomes improve. Join us to learn how to capture student voice data & create positive change in your district.
Content provided by Panorama Education
School & District Management Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: How Can We ‘Disagree Better’? A Roadmap for Educators
Experts in conflict resolution, psychology, and leadership skills offer K-12 leaders skills to avoid conflict in challenging circumstances.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: August 21, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: August 14, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: July 17, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: June 19, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read