Center For Education Reform Newswire
Vol. 9, No. 2
January 17, 2007
STANDARDS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
MERITS OF MERIT PAY. Apparently, definitive research showing the success of a merit-based pay program for teachers is not definitive enough for some unions. A recent study out of the University of Florida revealed that high school seniors at schools with merit-pay programs do better on standardized tests than students at other public schools. The national study, which will be released in the Journal of Public Economics, found a direct link between financial incentives for teachers and student achievement. The results were identical in both public and private schools, with students at pay-for-performance schools scoring 1 to 2 percentage points higher than their local counterparts. Despite all of the evidence in favor of merit pay, the Miami-Dade teachers' union in Florida has filed a suit against the school district for a modest new performance-pay program for teachers. The program, the first of its kind in the country, would allot $147.5 million for the state's new "Special Teachers are Rewarded" program. The United Teachers of Dade claim that the program violates the Florida Constitution. Standing on what appears to be flimsy legal ground, the unions argue that money should go to boosting salaries for all teachers, not just rewarding good teachers. That's the status quo for you.
UNIONS
POP QUIZ. How did the teachers' union use $77 billion last year?
A) To purchase an island for union administrator's vacations.
B) To implement the reforms outlined in "Tough Choices or Tough Times."
C) To create 20,000 new charter schools nationwide and develop an environment of competition in education.
D) To pay for eight common provisions of teacher contracts.
Answer: D. According to a new report from Education Sector, the union is spending $77 billion on eight provisions of teacher contracts that have little link to student achievement. The spending includes seniority pay increases, teacher's aides, and class size limits.
|