There is an interesting debate currently looming within the world of education. Namely, experts are trying to determine whether or not the current methods for determining teacher pay are sound ones. While the concept of paying teachers according to their performance is hardly nothing new, the idea that teacher education programs are not producing quality teachers is a concept that is relatively new to the general public.

The reality is that many critics of the current teacher training programs feel that colleges are falling way short of preparing teachers adequately for the classroom. Even Katherine Merseth, who is the director of teacher education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, publicly stated that only about 100 of the current 1,300 programs were doing a good job and that all the others should be “shut down tomorrow.”

It is due to the poor quality of education at these schools that some are starting to question the methods that are used to determine a teacher’s rate of pay. As it stands right now, teachers are paid according to the number of years they have been teaching as well as the level of education they have achieved. As such, the more credit hours a teacher has under his or her belt, the more money he or she can expect to receive.

While this may sound like a sound method for determining pay, critics argue that the level of a teacher’s education does not necessarily make that person a better teacher. Furthermore, due to the poor level of training and education teachers are receiving from many colleges, teachers may not be gaining valuable skills for the classroom when they complete additional coursework. According to these critics, schools would be better off determining pay and deciding on promotions based on the performance of the students rather than on the level of education a teacher has achieved.

So, with these thoughts in mind, the question becomes clear: do teachers need advanced degrees in order to be successful in the classroom? As things stand right now, teachers in most districts will certainly need to obtain an advanced degree in order to move up on the payment scale. When it comes to promotion opportunities and classroom assignments, however, simply having the right degree at the right time may not be enough for a teacher to get what he or she wants. Simply put, school districts are taking a number of other factors into consideration when making their hiring and assignment decisions.

As might be expected, considering factors other than the teacher’s educational level and seniority can be tricky when dealing with the teachers’ union. After all, many of the other factors used to determine a teacher’s effectiveness are subject to opinion. Even looking at test score results can be tricky, as the ability levels of students in one classroom can be quite different from the ability levels of students in another classroom.

It is for these reasons that many schools are trying to find a middle ground. While teacher observations, samples of student work and test scores are taken into consideration, the level of education a teacher has acquired still plays a major role in making hiring and assignment decisions.