TEACHERS LIKE THE IDEA OF LINKING THEIR PAY TO PERFORMANCE

The editorial page of the July 2nd Washington Post prints another of the many propanda opinion articles trumpeting the virtues of merit pay. "In Prince George County teachers and administrators are eager to particpate. They are unafraid of linking their salaries to student test scores, and that confidence is a hopeful sign of student learning." Yes: why not have your salary depend on student test scores. So what if little Johnny is out of class right now relieving himself on the side wall of the building. Your meal money rides on this honor student passing the exams. Of course, you can always help him a bit with the answers while he is sitting for the test. Or better still, you can actually mark the exam yourself.

"Teachers and principals will have the opportunity to bump up their pay by as much as $10,000...Given the historic resistance of national teacher unions to linking performance and pay, it is to the credit of the local union" that merit pay will become a reality. Yes; we would not want the evil, greedy teachers union to block this educational wonder of the world. Never mind the fact that merit pay is designed to bust teachers' unions and devisely pit one member against the other. Forget about English teachers asking for more money than gym teachers, or science teachers feeling entitled to more dough than art instructors. Disregard the fact that merit pay ushers in massive cheating and chicanery by administrators, teachers and students.

"Participation in the program is voluntary...Nonetheless we were struck by the comments of teachers such as Beverly Acors, who essentially called participation in the plan a no brainer." Beverly commented, "Every day I give 100%, so if there's an extra incentive why not take advantage." How will Beverly feel if several of her colleagues receive bonuses and she does not? School superintendants rely upon young teachers and Teach for America missionaries to take the money and run without any serious thinking. If there was no merit pay the money could be utilized to provide across the board raises to all union members. Yes, merit pay schemes are simply "NO BRAINERS."