The flaw in merit pay in education

At first glance, performance-based pay for teachers seems like common sense: reward the educators who get results and give students the best chance to succeed. It’s a system that works in many industries. So why not in education?

The thing is, education isn’t just another industry, and teaching isn’t like selling a product or hitting quarterly numbers.

Picture this: a skilled homebuilder shows up, ready to do excellent work. But instead of choosing quality lumber, they’re handed a package with missing nails and a stack of wood; some strong and straight, but some warped or weak from growing in inadequate soil. Their tools are outdated or simply the wrong ones for the job. The plans? They come from a design committee that’s never built a house but insists that every home in the neighborhood must be exactly the same! Regardless of the lot, soil, or family that will live there.

The builder does their best. They reinforce weak beams, work late, and pour extra care into every corner. But when the final inspection comes, some rooms fail. Not because of the builder’s effort, but because the materials were wildly different from the start. Some were solid and ready. Others needed more time to develop. A few simply couldn’t support the load they were expected to carry. And parts of the plan never made sense to begin with.

That’s what it feels like to be a teacher in a pay system based on test scores.

Educators don’t choose their “materials.” Students enter classrooms with different needs, languages, traumas, and life circumstances. Teachers don’t select their “tools,” either. They’re often required to follow rigid, district- or state-mandated curricula, pacing guides, and testing schedules. Professional judgment and creativity are discouraged in favor of compliance and uniformity.

And the “blueprints,” the policies and laws shaping their work, are frequently created by people with little or no classroom experience.

This isn’t an argument against accountability or excellence. Great teachers matter! But if we’re going to reward high performance, we need to ask: Are we measuring the right things? And are we giving teachers the conditions they need to succeed?

Instead of tying pay narrowly to test scores, we could design smarter systems. Ones that value student growth over time, peer collaboration, engagement, and the full complexity of teaching. Systems that support teachers in refining their craft and meeting the real, diverse needs of their students.

Teachers are already working harder than ever. They stay late, show up early, buy their own supplies, and carry the emotional weight of dozens of children each day. All while facing stagnant wages, diminishing respect, and growing demands.

Reducing their value to a number, and tying their livelihood to factors out of their control, isn’t just unfair. It’s driving good people away.

Let’s not build a system that pushes people out. Let’s build one that supports them, trusts them, and gives them the tools and respect they need to do what they do best.

Nick Lang is a veteran teacher in Iowa, a machinist, and owns a handyman business. He lives in North Liberty.