Public schools have strict budgets (as well they should). They simply will not hire a teacher with too much experience based on cost alone. They have a board and a community to which to answer. So how does an experienced teacher regain employment after a few poor-performing classes and a quick district trigger? School boards will be champing at the bit looking for ways to justify letting a long-tenured teacher go.

This, of course, brings up merit pay, which is quite another discussion…an idea in which I also do not support. Merit pay defeats many reasons as to why teachers began educating in the first place. Who would teach the “difficult” learners? How would this affect the common practice of a teacher helping a student who is not their own? Not to mention it would be a nightmare to evaluate.