Menefee 1

Brooklyn Menefee

Mrs. Wines

Composition II

14 April 2019

The Basic Idea of Ceasing the Fight on Wages

The only way to truly grasp the understanding of a topic is to collect information

from primary sources and the people who are actually involved. Primary sources offer

first-hand information on the topic so you can really understand where people stand on

topics. Conducting a survey is one way to collect information from primary sources as

well as interviews. With a further understanding of a topic, the standpoint on an

argument can be stronger or completely different. Both through the conduction of a

survey and an interview more information and facts were learned about what teachers

actually want either incentive based pay or not.The primary research conducted shows

that teachers are in favor of incentive-based pay because it will improve upon not only

the economy but their lives.

Incentive based pay has been around for decades, the same with the

underpayment of teachers. The pay system itself has been involved in many other work

fields such as retail, corporations, and food service work. In all of the finds it has helped

improve the motivation of the workers as well as the productivity of the business. This

pay system in short is if someone increases their performance their pay is increased.

For the extended version, incentive based pay is a probable pay system alternative to

current pay systems that teachers across America are fighting against that have no
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increase. ​With incentive based pay put in place it could possibly increase the motivation

of people in the educational workforce to improve upon themselves just as it has for

many other work fields in America. Through this, the education for the children all

across America will increase inadvertently improving the nation and economy. These

improvements because teachers are being paid more so that will help the economy and

the nation because the children are the future of the nation.

Primary sources are a key component to a strong argument whether through the

collection of information is from the internet or directly. What a better primary source for

incentive based pay for teachers is not only a teacher but a businessman and finance

major as well. The finance background could better help the understanding of the

impact on the money flow in America. Mr. Phil Forshey is a teacher of business at

Canton South High School. Prior to becoming a teacher he worked in the field of

business and finance for a number of years. This makes him a perfect candidate for

argumenting on the topic of incentive based pay for teachers. Off the bat at the

beginning of the interview when asked what he knows about incentive based pay he

said “I teach about incentive because everyone needs incentive. In my personal opinion

to do a good job or to be motivated to do” (Forshey 2019). A business professional and

a teacher knowingly supports incentive not only for teachers but for everyone in the

workforce. Incentive based pay could also drastically help our economy because

currently people can’t afford the cost of living in many areas. “That's where it starts

people are getting consumed by inflation because of stagnant wages and it needs fixed

or there's going to be a big big big problem in America and there's already a big
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problem” he is absolutely right, one of the major problems currently in America is the

war on wages not only in the education field but in nearly every field and state (Forshey

2019). If the industries in America don’t change and grow wages with the economy the

American people are going to be completely consumed by the inflation which will then

worsen the economy. To put it short if people aren’t spending money or in this case

can’t spend money we’ll have a bear market on our hands. A bear market is different

than what we are used to it is a bad economic place versus what we are used to; a

good economy also known as a bull market. A change would help more than one

problem.

For more insight on what teachers and other educational professionals actually

think and of what is happening in the educational field, I conducted a survey. Through

this survey a whopping sixty-six point seven percent of my responses responded

Disagree or Strongly Disagree to the question “Do you believe that teachers are paid

what they deserve?” (Menefee 2019). Minding you this survey was not only sent to

teachers but other educational professionals in the Canton Local school district. More

than half of the people believe that teachers in general aren’t paid what is deserved.

This could cause a major issue either now or further down the line because eventually

change; that could be sped up by implementing incentive pay, could be wanted with

many willing to fight for it. When posed with the question “If you were in charge of the

pay system how would you change it? What would you add or remove?” one response

stuck out. It stated “I would try to figure out a way to pay the harder working teachers

more money. I just have not figured out a good way to do this.” (Menefee 2019). They
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are in search of a system that has been lying in front of them in other industries for

years. In corporations how do they reward harder workers? Incentive pay. In retail?

Incentive pay. So many industries use incentive or merit pay to reward the harder

workers. It’s a perfect solution to what this person is asking for. More people just need

to be educated on the many options and things that they could possible have if fought

for. Another responder to the same question answered “I am not sure. I think incentive

based could be an interesting concept but could be detrimental if not done correctly.”

This is another example of someone who wants the change but just doesn’t know how

to get it or the many options and things out their that they can fight for. Drawing for

these responses and many more a conclusion has been made. When people earn or

are informed on incentive pay they are more leaning to it than those who are not, either

way a change will happen in the education field.

Fighting for a change in America is nothing new it’s happened since the first

settlements, even back in our roots in england. Whether it’s freedom from England, the

right to vote, better wages, or gun control; if the people want it, they're going to fight for

it. Teachers want change it’s not that hard to gather from the survey, the interview, the

news, or the many books on the topic. They’ve seen it successfully happen in history

and all around so with that drive from the possibility of change in their lives, they're

going to fight for better wages and better systems. When because there is no if, the

battle is won it will improve upon our nation in many ways for the children to our

economy. To do this the nation can use the stepping stone that is incentive based pay
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as a start. From their either as nations, states, cities, or districts will work to improve

upon that stepping stone.

Works Cited

Forshey, Phil. Personal interview. 22 March 2019.

Menefee, Brooklyn. "Incentive Pay for Teachers" Survey. 18 March 2019.