The New Jersey School Boards Association knows of no merit pay system involving teachers in New Jersey. But we urge local school boards, teachers and parents to explore these ideas in depth. The new president is urging everyone involved in education to aim higher, to be creative and to consider every possible way to bring excellence to all of America's classrooms.
That's an exciting challenge — and one that is essential to our future.
The reform vision Obama sketched out in his speech flows from that experience. The Obama approach would make it more likely that young Americans grow up in relationships with teaching adults. It would expand nurse visits to disorganized homes. It would improve early education. It would extend the school year. Most important, it would increase merit pay for good teachers (the ones who develop emotional bonds with students) and dismiss bad teachers (the ones who treat students like cattle to be processed).
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