Jeff Bergosh Blog: President Obama Supports Merit Pay Based on Student Performance

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I am one member of a five person board. The opinions I express on this forum are mine only, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Escambia County Staff, Administrators, Employees, or anyone else associated with Escambia County Florida. I am interested in establishing this blog as a means of additional transparency to the public, outreach to the community, and information dissemination to all who choose to look. Feedback is welcome, but because public participation is equally encouraged, appropriate language and decorum is mandatory. Although this is not my campaign site for re-election--sometimes campaign related information will be discussed, therefore in an abundance of caution I add the following :

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

President Obama Supports Merit Pay Based on Student Performance

Here's some great news. President Barack Obama has come before the nation embracing serious education reforms, including Merit Pay--based in large part on student achievement --and expanded charter schools. This is amazing because these are two issues that the teacher's unions dislike. I'm sure Mr. Obama's comments in the press yesterday did not sit well with many of the people who worked so hard and spent so much to get him elected--but I admire him for coming out and saying what needs to be said. I wonder what Mr. Obama would think of Escambia County's Merit Award Plan? ( I bet he would like it!) Hopefully these comments from our new president will bolster support for merit pay in Escambia County and throughout the other counties in Florida who are not currently participating.

From the Associated Press: 3-9-09

"President Barack Obama called for tying teachers' pay to student performance and expanding innovative charter schools Tuesday, embracing ideas that have provoked hostility from members of teachers unions. "The future belongs to the nation that best educates its citizens," he said. "We have everything we need to be that nation ... and yet, despite resources that are unmatched anywhere in the world, we have let our grades slip, our schools crumble, our teacher quality fall short and other nations outpace us." Van Roekel [NEA Pesident] insisted that Obama's call for teacher performance pay does not necessarily mean raises or bonuses would be tied to student test scores. It could mean more pay for board-certified teachers or for those who work in high-poverty, hard-to-staff schools, he said.
However, administration officials said later they do mean higher pay based on student achievement, among other things."

Full article here:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iT--F725ypsNTaNrulnuCGd8vt0QD96RGQCG0

I have significant ideological differences with President Obama, but I am very encouraged about his apparent stance on getting serious about education reform. I hope he is successful in this endeavor.