I thought it was weird that the teacher’s union would simply reject the notion of merit pay by trotting out lame excuses. Obama is attempting to shake things up now and I hope he succeeds!
“Good teachers will be rewarded with more money for improved student achievement, and asked to accept more responsibilities for lifting up their schools,” he said in a wide-ranging education speech before a meeting of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Washington.
Cue the same old tired response from the union:
Teachers’ unions say merit pay causes teachers to compete against each other, rather than collaborate, and is unfair to those who work in disadvantaged areas where it can be harder to boost student performance.
Showing how much the union is disconnected from reality!
But polls show the policy is overwhelmingly supported by the public, and it offers Obama a chance both to burnish his reformer credentials and point to a split from party orthodoxy.
Alameda Musings 