Zeke M. Vanderhoek got approval for a charter school in New York City that will pay teachers $125,000, a higher salary than the principal at $90,000. He's the principal.

Is a teacher worth $125,000 a year? Ask Zeke M. Vanderhoek.

Teacher Quality First

Emerging research is showing that the quality of the teacher is the most important component in education. It is more important than computers, latest technology, or inspiring principals. How does a school attract top teachers? You pay them more than anyone else does.

Zeke M. Vanderhoek proposed his idea to the New York City’s Education Department and the State Board of Regents and his idea was approved. "I would much rather put a phenomenal, great teacher in a field with 30 kids and nothing else than take the mediocre teacher and give them half the number of students and give them all the technology in the world," says Vanderhoek. [Elissa Gootman, nytimes.com, March 7, 2008]

Who Is Vanderhoek?

Zeke Vanderhoek is a 31 year-old Yale graduate who spent three years teaching at Intermediate School 90 in Washington Heights. He participated in the Teach for America program that places recent college graduates in schools with challenges. While teaching at Washington Heights, he supplemented his income by tutoring. He also formed a test preparation company, Manhattan GMAT in 2000. His company was successful he says because he paid his instructors $100 per hour with bonuses. This was dramatically higher than other tutoring companies.

What’s The Catch?

Teachers hired at the new Grade 5-8 charter school, called the Equity Project, will have challenging duties in exchange for the high salaries. They will

• Work a longer day
• Assume more responsibilities
• Possibly teach 30 students in a classroom
• Teachers will be asked to take on more disciplinary and attendance duties.

What Is The Student Population?

The school will open with only seven teachers and 120 students. Students will be selected using a lottery system favoring underperforming children in the neighborhood. The neighborhood is predominantly low-income Hispanic families. At full capacity, the school will have

• 480 students
• 28 teachers
• One principal
• No assistant principals
• Two social workers

All students will be required to take Latin and music.

Teacher Qualifications

The hiring process is highly selective. The desired teacher qualifications as listed at the school’s site, include

• Telephone interviews
• Personal interviews
• Multiple pieces of evidence of past success
• Scores at the 90th percentile or higher in the verbal GRE or GMAT
• Live teaching auditions

Vanderhoek will interview teachers personally.

Sample Candidate

• One applicant has a Ph.D. in Latin
• Working on a translation in Latin
• Founded a residential school for troubled teenagers
• Over 40 years of teaching experience

Vanderhoek plans on being principal for four years and then he is open to what the future may bring.

Comments

Frederick Hess, director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute says, "This is an approach that has not been tried in this way in American Education. That $125,000 figure could have a catalytic effect." [Elissa Gootman, nytimes.com, March 7, 2008]

Ernest A. Logan, president of the city principals’ union said, "Paying the principal less than the teachers is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. If you cheapen the role of the school leader, you’re going to have anarchy and chaos." [Elissa Gootman, nytimes.com, March 7, 2008]

As with any new idea, there are those that condemn it before it gets off the ground. But others will eagerly watch this experiment in education with interest. Fewer teachers, better teachers and fewer frills.

Source: Elisa Gootman, New York Times.com

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Copyright article 2008 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.