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It's unions vs the big bad republicans. That would go off script.
Certainly doesn't get much press.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_834299.html
Across the country, a divisive education reform movement has widely called for schools to hold teachers accountable for their students' performance.
President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan have been vocal in their support for merit pay, the practice of financially rewarding teachers for students' improvement on standardized tests.
Now, Idaho is on the brink of enacting a statewide teacher merit pay policy, while Florida isn't far behind.
At a time when the Wisconsin government has cut down unions' collective bargaining rights, and other states are waging anti-union battles, Idaho and Florida are pressing for merit pay -- and other controversial reforms -- without the blessing of teachers unions.
Idaho Schools Chief Tom Luna says, "this legislation is all about recognizing and rewarding our great teachers," painting the policy in a positive light. Unions disagree, however, arguing against reforms that link teacher evaluations, pay and firing too strongly students' test scores.
Under Obama's "Race to the Top" initiative, states applied for grant money to pursue changes in education policy in 2009. Winners were announced last year.
While Florida won $700 million for reforms, some of which will be used to bankroll the merit pay plan, Idaho's grant was rejected, leaving the state to reallocate education funds to foot the bill.
According to the Associated Press,
The [Idaho] merit pay plan carries a $38 million price tag in the 2013 fiscal year, and a $51.3 million in the 2014 fiscal year.
The Idaho bill passed the House on Wednesday, March 9, and awaits Governor C. L. Butch Otter's signature. With the governor's approval, Idaho will officially become the first state to pass merit pay legislation.
Earlier this week, another education reform bill was sent to the governor's desk, this one including plans to do away with teacher tenure and limit collective bargaining.
Meanwhile, in Florida, where a bid for teacher merit pay was unsuccessful last year, a revised bill has passed the Senate on Thursday, March 10, and is expected to succeed in the House. While Governor Charlie Crist vetoed the bill last year, the new governor, Rick Scott, is known to have a more favorable view of merit pay.
Florida's merit pay bill also cuts teacher tenure, banning it for educators hired after July, 2011. According to The New York Times, the passage of the bill "would position Florida as a leader among those states taking on teachers' unions."
The push toward merit pay in Idaho, and especially in Florida, begs the question: will other states follow suit?
Read the comments at the link provided to read excuses ad nauseum.
It's unions vs the big bad republicans. That would go off script.
Dance of the lemons.
I think this is one case where unions have most definitely out-lived their usefulness and far over-stepped their bounds.
Why did Darrin post this?
Only 400 hits in google news
http://www.google.com/search?q=obama...14718dcecdb165
It is a horrible idea. You're going to have teachers teaching the standardized tests even more than they do now.
Who will decide on the merits? So just give your students the easiest tests watch grades soar and get your merit.
Obama's full-tilt-boogie neoliberal education reforms don't square with the low-information voter's conception of him as a progressive.
It's amazing how much of a windfall Obama was for the conservatives - they couldn't have imagined a better follow-on to Bush. One the one hand, they get to employ a re-tooled Southern strategy and set their base on fire. On the other, they get to rail against Obama's center-right Reaganesque policies as though they came from Karl Marx and not the Chamber of Commerce.
If I thought that acing the standardized tests would catch us up to the rest of the world on an intellectual level, I'd be all for it.
Obama needs to quit buying into the Arne Duncan Waiting for Superman bull ...merit pay is stupid because it would drive a wedge between grade-level teams if teachers know that someone on their team is making more money than them, especially if they are also a grade-level chair....right now, teachers plan together, with merit pay, all that planning would fall on the shoulders of the teacher making the extra cash....weak.
...also, you can't take a T.F.A. scab and expect to make him/her a professional teacher by coaching them with a mike in the ear and then certifying them 6 months later....by God, they are educating our future not selling us a computer.....Bill Gates....STFU!
Fact-Challenged Policy
Economic Policy Ins ute Research Associate Richard Rothstein on the topic of school reform efforts being promoted by Bill Gates and other prominent education policy advocates.
Evaluating New York Teachers, Perhaps the Numbers Do Lie
Though her principal praised her work, Stacey Isaacson received a poor ranking in a statistical model used by New York City schools to evaluate teachers. Isaacson holds 2 Ivy-league degrees, BTW.
Last edited by Capt Bringdown; 03-11-2011 at 10:28 PM.
So a meritocracy is great for everyone else, just not for teachers?
Ok
It would be better to not be so closely tied to standardized tests.
They should just do away with tests and grades altogether. Getting an "F" might hurt someone's feelings.
One area where I actually agree with the man.
Once again, your lack of understanding drives you to idiocy.
This is the problem. Why not just get merits from the principles of the schools. Most people get their merits from their direct bosses.
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