Carrots and Sticks for School Systems

The "conclusion" on which the editorial is based:

The result is that poor teachers stick around while good teachers go elsewhere or leave the profession, frustrated because they are not promoted, rewarded with better pay, or even simply acknowledged.

Most school districts don't have promotional positions for teachers. Study after study after study shows that "merit pay" does not incentivize teachers, more often demoralizes teachers and promotes nonproductive competition. As for "simply acknowledged"...well, hell, pass out some gold damn stars (which, by the way, is also demoralizing and disruptive.)

And who the hell are the "good teachers" anyway? There is no scientifically proven method to make that determination. If you go by test scores (as indicated in the editorial), it may simply be the teacher who spends the most time on test prep...or who cheats. Plus, the same teacher using the same "best practices" may fail miserably the next year due to circumstances beyond her/his control.

So, New York Times...

...add your voice to the wilderness...