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<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span style=3D=
'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Excellent, Roland. Thanks very much for
posting it.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span style=3D=
'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span style=3D=
'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Jim<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span style=3D=
'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span style=3D=
'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span style=3D=
'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span style=3D=
'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Jim Bunn<br>
CCNA CCAI ITE1<br>
Technology Coordinator<br>
<st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Hampton</st1:PlaceName> <s=
t1:PlaceType
w:st=3D"on">Park</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Secondary</st1:=
PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">College</st1:PlaceType></st1:place><br>
Victoria Australia<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span style=3D=
'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>8795 9400<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;=
font-family:
Arial;color:navy'><a href=3D"mailto:bunn.jim.c@edumail.vic.gov.au">bunn.jim.=
c@edumail.vic.gov.au</a>
</span></font><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;fo=
nt-family:
Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<div class=3DMsoNormal align=3Dcenter style=3D'text-align:center'><font size=
=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-US style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'>
<hr size=3D2 width=3D"100%" align=3Dcenter tabindex=3D-1>
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<p class=3DMsoNormal><b><font size=3D2 face=3DTahoma><span lang=3DEN-US
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span><=
/font></b><font
size=3D2 face=3DTahoma><span lang=3DEN-US style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-fam=
ily:Tahoma'>
yr7-10it-bounces@edulists.com.au [mailto:yr7-10it-bounces@edulists.com.au] <=
b><span
style=3D'font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Roland Gesthuizen<br>
<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Sunday, 22 April 2007 1=
2:22
PM<br>
<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> Year 12 IT Applications
Teachers' Mailing List; Year 7 - 10 IT Mailing List; Information Technology
Teachers' Offtopic Mailing List<br>
<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [Yr7-10it] Merit pay=
for
dentists</span></font><span lang=3DEN-US><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'=
font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3D3
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'>Apologies if you h=
ave
already seen this. I still have no idea who penned the original source altho=
ugh
from the language I suspect it sources the States where the debate about
performance pay is currently raging. I did search about the traps and notice=
it
has already done the rounds of the QSITE and Edulist English mailing lists.<=
br>
<br>
Here it is (* toothless grin *)<br>
<br>
Regards Roland<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div style=3D'margin-left:30.0pt'>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><b><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>Merit Pay For Dentists</span></f=
ont></b><br>
<br>
My dentist is great! He sends me reminders so I don't forget checkups. He <b=
r>
uses the latest techniques based on research. He never hurts me, and I've<br=
>
got all my teeth.<br>
<br>
When I ran into him the other day, I was eager to see if he'd heard about<br=
>
the Federal Government's latest program for improving the dental health of <=
br>
our children by introducing merit pay for dentists.<br>
<br>
"Did you hear about the new federal program to measure effectiveness of=
<br>
dentists with their young patients?" I asked.<br>
<br>
"No," he said. He didn't seem too thrilled. "How will they do
that?" <br>
<br>
"It's quite simple," I answered. "They will just count the
number of<br>
cavities each patient has at Grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and average that to<br>
determine a dentist's rating. Dentists will be rated as excellent, good, <br=
>
average, below average, and unsatisfactory. That way parents will know which=
<br>
are the best dentists. The plan will also encourage the less effective<br>
dentists to get better," I said. "Poor dentists who don't improve
could lose <br>
their licenses to practice."<br>
<br>
"That's terrible," he replied.<br>
<br>
"What? That's not a good attitude," I said. "Don't you think=
we
should try<br>
to improve children's dental health in this country?" <br>
<br>
"Sure I do, but that's not a fair way to determine who is practising go=
od<br>
dentistry."<br>
<br>
"Why not?" I asked. "It makes perfect sense to me."<br>
<br>
"Well, it's so obvious," he said. "Don't you see that dentist=
s
don't all <br>
work with the same clientele, and that much depends on things we can't<br>
control? For example, I work in a rural area with a high percentage of<br>
patients from deprived homes, while some of my colleagues work in upper <br>
middle-class neighborhoods. Many of the parents I work with don't bring<br>
their children to see me until there is some kind of problem, and I don't<br=
>
get to do much preventive work. Also, many of the parents I serve let their=
<br>
kids eat way too much sweet food from an early age, unlike more educated<br>
parents who understand the relationship between sugar and decay. To top it<b=
r>
all off, so many of my clients have tank water which is untreated and has no=
<br>
fluoride in it. Do you have any idea how much difference early use of<br>
fluoride can make?"<br>
<br>
"It sounds like you're making excuses. I can't believe that you would b=
e
so<br>
defensive. After all, you do a great job, and you needn't fear a little <br>
accountability."<br>
<br>
"I am not being defensive!" he said. "My best patients are as
good as<br>
anyone's, my work is as good as anyone's, but my average cavity count is<br>
going to be higher than a lot of other dentists' because I chose to work <br=
>
where I am needed most."<br>
<br>
"Don't' get touchy," I said.<br>
<br>
"Touchy?" he said. His face had turned red, and from the way he wa=
s<br>
clenching and unclenching his jaws, I was afraid he was going to damage his=
<br>
teeth. "Try furious! In a system like this, I will end up being rated<b=
r>
average, below average, or worse. The few educated patients I have who see<b=
r>
these ratings may believe this so-called rating is an actual measure of my <=
br>
ability and proficiency as a dentist. They may leave me, and I'll be left<br=
>
with only the most needy patients. And my cavity average score will get even=
<br>
worse. On top of that, how will I attract good dental hygienists and other <=
br>
excellent dentists to my practice if it is labeled below average?"<br>
<br>
"I think you are overreacting," I said. "'Complaining,
excuse-making and<br>
stonewalling won't improve dental health'... I am quoting from a leading <br=
>
member of the DOC," I noted.<br>
<br>
"What's the DOC?" he asked.<br>
<br>
"It's the Dental Oversight Committee, a group made up of mostly lay
persons<br>
to make sure dentistry in this state gets improved." <br>
<br>
"Spare me! I can't believe this. Reasonable people won't buy it,"=
he
said<br>
hopefully.<br>
<br>
The program sounded reasonable to me, so I asked, "How else would you<b=
r>
measure good dentistry?" <br>
<br>
"Come watch me work," he said. "Observe my processes."<b=
r>
<br>
"That's too complicated, expensive and time-consuming," I said.
"Cavities<br>
are the bottom line, and you can't argue with the bottom line. It's an <br>
absolute measure."<br>
<br>
"That's what I'm afraid my parents and prospective patients will think.
This<br>
can't be happening," he said despairingly.<br>
<br>
"Now, now," I said, "don't despair. The Federal government wi=
ll
help you <br>
some."<br>
<br>
"How?" he asked.<br>
<br>
=B3If you receive a poor rating, they'll send a dentist who is rated excelle=
nt<br>
to help straighten you out," I said brightly.<br>
<br>
"You mean," he said, "they'll send a dentist with a wealthy
clientele to <br>
show me how to work on severe juvenile dental problems with which I have<br>
probably had much more experience? BIG HELP!"<br>
<br>
"There you go again," I said. "You aren't acting professional=
ly
at all." <br>
<br>
"You don't get it," he said. "Doing this would be like gradin=
g
schools and<br>
teachers on an average score made on a test of children's progress with no<b=
r>
regard to influences outside the school, the home, the community served and=
<br>
stuff like that. Why would they do something so unfair to dentists? No one<b=
r>
would ever think of doing that to schools."<br>
<br>
I just shook my head sadly, but he had brightened.<br>
<br>
"I'm going to write my representatives and senators," he said.
"I'll use the <br>
school analogy. Surely they will see the point."<br clear=3Dall>
<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'=
font-size:
12.0pt'><br>
<br>
-- <br>
Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st=3D"on">Westall</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Secondary</s=
t1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">College</st1:PlaceType></st1:place><br>
<a href=3D"http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au">http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au=
</a><br>
<br>
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margare=
t
Mead _______________________________________________ <br>
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orian
Information Technology Teachers Association Inc<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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