The last few months have been a nail-biting time for North Carolina teachers who are currently enrolled in master’s degree programs. Late in the summer, the governor approved a state budget that eliminated automatic pay raises to public school teache
rs who complete master’s degrees. However, in the last week or so, the state did find the necessary funds to ensure that the more than 3,000 teachers in the state who are currently working toward their master’s degrees will receive salary increases when an advanced degree is earned.
The humongous elephant in the room seems to be the question of whether teachers who have earned master’s degrees outperform teachers who have not. Anyone care to give this oversized elephant a poke? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Have a great weekend!
Diane
From a personal perspective, I feel like my learning experience during my master’s degree was much more beneficial than my undergrad classes. I don’t know if it happened to be my course of study that led to this difference in education or if the master’s really made the difference. I have a bachelor’s degree in early childhood and childhood education (birth-6) and my master’s is in differentiated instruction with an extension in gifted education. I finished my master’s while teaching, so it was also very beneficial to implement the things I was learning, almost right away. I loved my master’s experience and wish that I could go back for another, but tuition is an issue.
I agree with Jacquie – my master’s degree classes really helped my teaching. My studies in Language and Literacy taught me so much about the reading process, I can’t imagine not taking them. I feel any post graduate work helps to make any teacher better, we should be lifelong learners as an example. I am extremely tired of politicians deciding that teachers don’t deserve any perks or raises. A master’s degree in my state costs about $15,000 – $18,000 to obtain. The automatic raise of $995.00 per year that teachers receive in my state somehow doesn’t cut it. I can’t wait for my teacher-daughter to break even from getting her master’s degree, in about 12 more years!!!
Well now with that attitude; then what makes someone with bachelor’s degree any better teacher than a trash truck driver with no degree? Seriously? That’s an oxy-moron. The people with an education are saying a continued education is not really extending your learning?????? HELLO- We’re not getting master’s degrees in underwater basket weaving………. Yea since my school is over 70% Hispanic I got my master’s in TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages), not in bricklaying. I’m much more qualified to teach a non-English speaking student than a person fresh out of college with just a bachelor’s degree. So yes, I outperform them. Hmmmm. Things like this (them trying to think of yet another reason NOT to pay teachers what they’re worth) is the reason I second guess my calling. No respect from the lawmakers or the general public in every state.
Obviously, a master’s degree doesn’t make you perfect. However, most of the truly effective teachers I see in the field are those who had gone on to get an M.A. or M.ED. I believe there is a correlation/causation issue here. Don’t the best teachers want to be the best they can be? Therefore, I strongly encourage paying teachers more if they get their M.A. it encourages teachers to become better.