Leaving for a Payoff

While sitting through a focus group regarding salary for educators I found my mind wandering toward the similarities and differences with the pro sports industry and Florida’s A+ incentive pay.

When it comes to team sports pro athletes play each game to add another victory to the win column, each providing a closer step to the playoffs and a championship. Prestige follows each success as well as monetary incentives; both welcomed yet only one pays the bills, provides for the family, and secures a comfortable retirement. A successful team reaches the championship, that being the case, how does the attitude and aspirations change of the individual Superstar who year after year performs at an exceptional level yet fails to make the championship or the playoffs? In order to achieve the incentive pay, does the Superstar stay with the team and provide leadership and support to move the team closer to the championship or does the Superstar leave the team to join a franchise with similar Superstars? Is earning base salary enough or is that bonus necessary to make ends meet?

In order to achieve the Florida A+ incentives, does the successful educator stay with the school and provide leadership and support to move the faculty closer to the vision and mission (and test scores)or does the successful educator leave the team to join a school with similar successful educators? Is earning base salary enough or is that bonus necessary to make ends meet? In isolation does the Florida A+ plan place successful educators in a position to consider transferring to a school with other successful educators?

I do realize that the comparison to sports is quite complex and involves more than what I discuss here. Let me know if you care to engage in conversations on tax base, salary caps, team ownership, bond issues, Pay for Performance or the hundreds of other variable that comprise the system of sports or education.

Just to throw this out there…is it the successful team that reaches the championship or the wealthy team?