Obama : dragging America into the 21st century.
Like him or not, you can't argue with Obama's policies so far. Well - apart from the bailout package which I still believe is a mistake.
But this time he's taking on the education system. In a bid to do what just about every other civilised country does, he's trying to introduce performance-based pay for school teachers. The better they teach, the better the kids learn, the more money the teachers earn. That's the idea. It's a shame that school teachers need to be given incentives to teach properly like this, but that appears to be the way it is.
Of course the republicans immediately started bleating on about how it was a bad idea and the teachers unions chimed in too. I guess they're afraid that the bad teachers will be laid off. I don't think that's a bad thing. Unionised teachers are paid a guaranteed rate with guaranteed raises every year irrespective of the prevailing economy or their ability to teach. That's not the way to educate the next generation. In fact, it seems that all Obama's ideas to punish poor behaviour and practice are being opposed by the unions and the party that spent the last 8 years taking us down the toilet for the exact opposite reason : they rewarded that behaviour.
But this time he's taking on the education system. In a bid to do what just about every other civilised country does, he's trying to introduce performance-based pay for school teachers. The better they teach, the better the kids learn, the more money the teachers earn. That's the idea. It's a shame that school teachers need to be given incentives to teach properly like this, but that appears to be the way it is.
Of course the republicans immediately started bleating on about how it was a bad idea and the teachers unions chimed in too. I guess they're afraid that the bad teachers will be laid off. I don't think that's a bad thing. Unionised teachers are paid a guaranteed rate with guaranteed raises every year irrespective of the prevailing economy or their ability to teach. That's not the way to educate the next generation. In fact, it seems that all Obama's ideas to punish poor behaviour and practice are being opposed by the unions and the party that spent the last 8 years taking us down the toilet for the exact opposite reason : they rewarded that behaviour.
Comments
Sins of Commissions
The Econ 101 Management Method
Incetive Pay Considered harmful