[Vision2020] City Staff Pay/Teachers' Pay

[Mike Curley]

It is interesting to me to note that the City of Moscow  
recently decided to convert from a traditional pay grid to a 
 "pay for performance" process.  Most, but not all, of the  
public comment in opposition to the proposal had to do  
with the cities that were used for comparisons to establish 
 what Moscow "should" be paying and whether the 
process  was going to be applied fairly (particularly, 
department  heads receiving increases to the higher 
"market" rate  while some employees would only receive 
increases to  the "minimum").  There was a minimum of 
heat  generated over whether a performance standard 
was a  good idea.  The City of Lewiston was held up as a 
model  for where the performance plan has been 
successful. 

There are pretty obvious problems with both plans.  The  
grid allows an employee to "skate"--getting by on the very  
minimum performance standard to not only retain his job  
but also to receive her raise.  The performance standard  
requires someone to evaluate performance, a process  
that is subject to abuse, misevaluation, and "playing  
favorites."   

I'm not advocating anything here.  I'm just wondering  
where I would land on the issue if I were voting and  
whether I would use a different compensation plan for  
one set of public employees than another.   I see  good 
reasons to retain the grid for teachers.   I also see  some 
merit to the ideas of  (1) encouraging teachers, by 
different rates of pay for different jobs, to enter one area 
where more are needed  (whether that's math/science, 
history, or basket-weaving)  and (2) to encourage 
continual improvement of their "teaching," by basing pay 
upon performance--however we choose to measure that 
(I would, for example, suggest  we not simply look at the 
"output" of students on standardized  tests).

If I opted for a performance pay system I would  
particularly want to incorporate a provision similar to the  
city plan that insures that all employees who meet (at  
least) minimum standards will receive any raise  
necessary to keep them at the minimum pay for their  
position.  They could not remain "frozen" at a pay rate  
indefinitely.  They just might not receive the additional pay 
 that comes with good to exceptional performance. 

Mike Curley 




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