Education Finance Reform: Tip the Teachers

We are going about reforming the education system in entirely the wrong manner. Our focus on teacher accountability through standardized testing has clearly failed. The tenure system protects good teachers and bad. There must be a better way. All we need do is look to other forms of compensation for public servants to give us the clear solution to the problem.

What if teachers were paid a minimum wage and received most of their compensation through voluntary contributions from individuals and families? This would motivate teachers to be more responsive to specific students and their parents. In this manner, we could reduce property taxes so they only pay for the buildings themselves with a very modest base wage for the teachers.

Consider the benefits: Instead of teachers doing what was good for themselves, they would focus on keeping the contributing students and their parents engaged and happy. Families would voluntarily thank the teacher through monetary gifts. Poor teachers would not stay in the profession because they would not be able to make enough money.

Of course teachers are ethical people and all students would be treated equally. Some students would simply be more equal if their parents pay more. That should not be an issue in a free market system like America. If your child needs more attention in class, pay more. If your child wants to be a starter on the team or the star of the show, pay more. If your child wants better grades, less homework, a little help on the ACT, or a chance to go to the bathroom, it is only appropriate that you help the teacher since the teacher is helping your child.

A wonderful side effect would be that teachers would have to compete for parental dollars. Rather than the same dull curriculum in all classes, teachers would be forced to innovate and be creative! They would find new and interesting ways to get their students (and their parents) attention. Think of the motivation that money would provide! Instead of lectures and tests, we could have field trips, movies, and other fun educational experiences. If parents have resources that could help, I’ll bet they’d be quick to assist! Perhaps parents who own fast food franchises, publishing houses, educational services, and media sources would contribute to teachers so that teachers would use their products and services. What a fresh and new educational landscape would be born!

Think of how the dynamic among the faculty would change, too. Instead of just any teacher assuming leadership, the teachers who get the most contributions from family would have the resources to affect the building and district at large. Clearly, these will be the teachers who have most pleased parents and members of the community. These teachers’ success could breed a new and more fiscally responsive approach to learning.

If this model succeeds in education, perhaps we could use it in other areas. Tipping police and firefighters would motivate them to take better care of our communities. Tipping our public works departments would mean that the streets that really need plowing or repairing would get attention, as long as the residents make sure that those who are doing the repairing are well repaired!

This system has proven such a success with our elected officials that we should make voluntary contributions our primary way to fund everything! The success of Congress stands as shining lighthouse to the nation. It is time for us to set our country’s course directly to that beacon!