Obama-Ed: More $ to privatization, merit pay, longer school year.

[Hannah Bell]

In short, just what the corporatists want.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/10/obama-education-plan-spee_n_173405.html

WASHINGTON — 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.

Van Roekel 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.

His solutions include teacher pay and charter school proposals that have met resistance among members of teachers unions, which constitute an important segment of the Democratic Party. Obama acknowledged that conflict, saying, "Too many supporters of my party have resisted the idea of rewarding excellence in teaching with extra pay, even though we know it can make a difference in the classroom."

No, it doesn't, Mr. Pres.

What a Trojan Horse Mr. Change is turning out to be.

There, I said it.