Progressive Fix’s Scott Andes summarizes the debate around performance pay and argues that arguments against ultimately ring false:

“While performance-related pay has been around since the 1700s and affects the pay scale of over 85 percent of private sector employees, the debate over merit pay for teachers is still highly contentious. On one hand, proponents argue merit pay will help cash-strapped schools retain good teachers and shed bad ones. They also argue that this will create a salary scale that is fairer than the system of seniority pay that currently exists in most school systems. On the other hand, opponents contend that merit pay may work for seamstresses, but teaching is too complicated to base quality on student performance on a standardized test.”

The Chancellor reiterates that every classroom must have an effective teacher.

Democrats for Education Reform’s new background memo on the Race to the Top competition is a must-read for anyone interested in the national landscape of education reform.

FOCUS (Friends of Choice in Urban Schools),
CityBridge Foundation and DC School Reform Now
Invite you to a FREE screening of the film 
“The Lottery”  
Saturday, June 26, 2010
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Avalon Theater
5612 Connecticut Avenue NW
Nationwide, 58% of African-American 4th graders are functionally illiterate.  In the District of Columbia, on average, African-American 4th graders are almost six years behind white 4th graders in math.  The lack of quality public school options for our most disadvantaged students is one of the most important civil rights issues of our time. 
Join us for a free, public viewing …

Great news!  Yesterday, DCPS teachers voted 1,412 – 425 to ratify the Teacher’s contract.  This vote represents a victory for students and teachers, as it reinforces several of the crucial reforms that are improving our DC Public Schools.   The final step for the contract to pass is a City Council vote, which will be held in late June. 
Now, we need your help! Take five minutes of your time in the next few days to call and/or write the DC Council about this momentous vote. We want the Council to understand …