Teacher Incentives
Obama proposes merit pay for teachers who excel. WSJ. Great idea. How about trading that with his teacher union pals for measures making it easier to fire ones who don’t? Nothing focuses the mind like an execution. Take one out, the others notice.
Politico says Obama will be “shaping new processes” to do that, but says he hasn’t come up with any details. Hate to sound like a cynic, but I’ve noticed when it comes to key constituencies, he’s been more focused on gain than pain. Just heard on the radio that Obama was praising Massachusetts eighth-graders, tops in science. You can thank MCAS, the standardized performance testing, mandatory for graduation, pushed by Republicans, fought tooth-and-nail by unions and other do-gooders. My kids came out of an elementary school consistently in MCAS’ top ten statewide. Critics complain they are taught for the test. Sure. It required teachers to teach, and kids to learn. How to read, how to write. Math. Science.
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 10:40 am Comments (1) on Tuesday, March 10, 2009
One Response to “Teacher Incentives”
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March 10th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Never coming up with details about how to create the Pie In The Sky seems to be an Obama modus operandi.
Btw, I’ve NEVER understood the argument that teachers “teach to the test”. Aren’t the tests designed to make sure students know what they’re supposed to know when they graduate?