Gail Collins in her NYT op ed with a fair point: we need robust teacher-evaluation systems before we can start tying teacher pay to performance:

Can I digress, people, and say that while it's important to make teachers accountable, telling them their jobs could hinge on their students' grades on one test is a terrible idea? The women and men who go into teaching tend, as a group, to be both extremely dedicated and extremely risk-averse. The stability of their profession is a very important part of its draw. You do not want to make this an anything-can-happen occupation, unless you are prepared to compensate them like hedge fund traders.

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May 1, 2010

Op-Ed Columnist

Teachers Always Show Up

By GAIL COLLINS

www.nytimes.com/2010/05/01/opinion/01collins.html