Opinion

TEACHER PAY ON THE MERITS

THE ISSUE: The merit-pay plan proposed for teachers in the city’s high-need schools.

Merit pay for teachers? It just won’t work (“A Meritorious Reform,” Editorial, Oct. 18).

With salaries dependent on test scores, teachers will turn to full-time test prep and scrap the lessons that are truly educational.

Not to mention those teachers who will feel the compulsion to actually give their students the answers to reward themselves.

Russell Flax
The Bronx

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The teachers union has again shown, beyond the doubt of any reasonable person or newspaper, its good faith and deep professionalism, while fully protecting the common good and the recognition its members have earned.

Performance bonuses will be decided fairly and honorably and distributed based on sound criteria – not by potential abuse through corrupt motives, such as cronyism.

There will be checks and balances, and the interests of everyone will be served. This is the kind of partnership that is wholesome and beyond controversy. All sides are to be congratulated for their guts and integrity.

Ron Isaac
Fresh Meadows

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Mayor Bloomberg and Randi Weingarten’s secret meetings are historic only in that they highlight the lack of solutions that these two individuals have.

Paying teachers more to do their job is absurd, and there are many flaws to this plan.

Cronyism will run rampant as teachers will attempt to curry favor with those on the selection committee. How would a teacher of senior classes, which no longer have to take standardized Regents tests, be judged?

This plan will actually have a detrimental effect as teachers will not share ideas as they attempt to outshine their colleagues.

As for the 55/25 retirement plan, all that does is create a new tier system by forcing newer members of the union to put in 1.85 percent more of their salary to fund this program.

Merit pay is not the answer. Real consequences for failure is.

Dave Rosen
Rockaway Beach