Good to see merit pay for teachers getting some traction.  Only in the bizarre world of education is something so obvious so controversial.

For years, the unionized teaching profession opposed few ideas more vehemently than merit pay, but those objections appear to be eroding as school districts in dozens of states experiment with plans that compensate teachers partly based on classroom performance.

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Long Reviled, Merit Pay Gains Among Teachers

By SAM DILLON

Published: June 18, 2007

www.nytimes.com/2007/06/18/education/18pay.html

MINNEAPOLIS — For years, the unionized teaching profession opposed few ideas more vehemently than merit pay, but those objections appear to be eroding as school districts in dozens of states experiment with plans that compensate teachers partly based on classroom performance.