Transform Schools with an NFL-Inspired Teacher Selection

This article was originally published in The Detroit News on May 7, 2024..

The recent NFL Draft was a huge success for Detroit, with the city receiving praise from celebrities, sports figures and elected officials for its energy and hospitality.

What’s not to like? Fandom, buzz about the best players, highlighted with gravity-defying games and scrutiny of player skills.

The draft represents an opportunity, with the hope that this player will change our franchise forever. The best players leave early, but we could have a middle pick. Maybe our team will select the next Tom Brady!

Which got me wondering: What if public schools selected teachers like NFL teams to recruit their players?

The superintendent of schools stands at a podium: “With the first pick in the draft, Pontiac Middle School selects…”

The task of educating the next generation is noble. An excellent education gives children the knowledge and skills they need to succeed, while strengthening our communities. Student success should be celebrated like it’s the Super Bowl.

But the debate around education in Michigan is one-dimensional and dark.

The dominant narrative is not excellence. It’s money. From Detroit’s school superintendent to K-12 advocates to the teachers union, reform ideas are usually calls for more funding. You wouldn’t know that Michigan school funding is at an all-time high.

School administrators cite recruiting challenges, perceived shortages and acrimonious labor relations.

Meanwhile, teachers feel underpaid and undervalued. (You can check salaries in the Michigan government salary database.) Their loss of joy can be measured by quit rates. A Wall Street Journal analysis of 10 states found that teacher attrition is higher than it was before the pandemic. According to a recent survey of Merrimack College teachers, 35 percent of teachers are likely to leave the profession within two years.

Rigid salary scales dictate teacher pay. This provides predictability; the compromise is a hard cap on compensation. In comparison, private schools have the flexibility to attract top talent in in-demand subjects.

Tenure laws make it difficult and costly to remove an ineffective teacher. Seniority could cost good teachers their jobs simply because others have been there longer.

So back to the NFL Draft: Imagine schools identifying their needs and looking for the right fit. Teachers are evaluated for their effectiveness. Schools compete to recruit the best teachers and work hard to retain them. Excellent teachers are rewarded for their achievements.

Some educators might disagree with this idea. I can think of sincere objections. First, a draft is good for football, but teaching is a vocation, not entertainment. Second, teachers deserve professional autonomy. Third, we have never tried this and the implementation would be complex. Fourth, teacher evaluations are difficult, subjective and incomplete.

These are all good points to discuss. Our schools should innovate and borrow good ideas in many areas. Teachers already work under many mandates thanks to union contracts and state laws. The autonomy of each teacher would increase if schools competed to attract the best. The project itself may be unachievable, but how can we create the conditions it would create if we could have one?

Teacher excellence is only possible when the job – a place on the roster – is associated with responsibility. Poorly performing teachers may have to leave the profession. But think about it: Every year, many teachers leave the classroom. Who would we rather stay: the best teachers or the ineffective ones?

Excellence and responsibility are markers of professionalism. Unfortunately, Michigan has just weakened teacher evaluations, making it difficult for school leaders and parents to identify and reward high-performing educators.

Al Davis, famous owner of the Oakland Raiders, liked to say, “Win, baby!” »

Education is not about victories or defeats. But it should prepare every child for the future. Let’s be creative in recruiting, retaining and rewarding excellent teachers.

Permission to reproduce this blog post in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that the author(s) and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy are properly cited.