Reply #27: Well, I think the point is that good teachers can be lost with merit pay.

[snappyturtle]

The teachers you described should have been weeded out by the school district. Even though I was a tenured teacher, I do not agree with tenure.

NCLB has shown us what comes by way of teaching toward test results. The tests themselves, if uniform in context, would not accurately measure their objectives throughout the nation. Remember when Stanford-Binet Intelligence tests were biased toward Caucasians and had to be altered after years of use?! Merit based on what could well be poorly designed tests if compiled quickly to put the merit pay program into effect could cull out those we want to keep. If nothing else, I hope that much thought is given before instituting a merit pay system after all, do we want teachers who only teach to guarantee good test results?