I Knew It Was Coming: Perdue Proposes Pay for Performance for Teachers!

The So-called pay for performance plans have been a longtime goal of conservatives and a sticking point with many teacher organizations fearful of members losing out in circumstances they can't completely control. Well that's what Gov. Sonny Perdue is proposing.

Perdue said his proposal, to be enacted over several years, would be a way for good teachers to get a major boost in pay.

New and veteran teachers would be able to choose to have their pay raises determined half by student achievement and half by observations of how they manage their classrooms. Or they could remain in the current system, which boosts salaries for each additional degree they earn, such as a master's or doctorate.

Another way to improve education, he said, is to pass legislation introduced last year to boost the ethics of school boards and allow the removal of board members who don't comply. He mentioned Warren County's loss of accreditation this week as an example of the board's behavior harming the entire system.

The Georgia Educators Association is waiting for the details before they decide to support or oppose his idea, according to President Jeff Hubbard. Hubbard suggests the achievement be measured by the student's classroom participation and work on projects rather than standardized tests.

Says Hubbard: "If they are going to base it just on a standardized test score, that is going to be a problem with us because a child is more than a standardized test score and a teacher is more than a standardized test score," Mr. Hubbard said.

I see problems on the horizon on this legislation. If Perdue gets this proposal passed, the GOP can forget the teacher's vote for Damn sure!