The O's Rick Attig drinks merit pay Kool-Aid

From Rick Attig's blog:

"As refreshing as it was to hear President Obama, in his first major speech on education, call for teacher merit pay, a longer school year, more charter schools and reducing the dropout rate, it was discouraging to compare the president's rhetoric with the reality in Oregon.

"Here, with the teachers' union powerful grip on the state's Democratic majority in Salem, there is no serious discussion about merit pay or expanding charter schools."

That eerily echoes Betsy Hammond's side bar in yesterday's O, the one where she referred to Oregon voters as "swayed by expensive campaigns by the Oregon Education Association" in their rejection of "pay for performance" ballot measures.  How does she know if voters were "swayed"?  Maybe they're just smart.

Teacher --and union-- scapegoating for the supposed "failure" of public schools has become all too common a theme in the media. 

It's good to read, in that same sidebar, that Washington is one of the few states that doesn't allow any charter schools.  But then again, according to Hammond, that's all due to "opposition from the state teachers' union."

Here's a question for Attig:  If the teachers' union in Oregon has such a powerful grip on state legislators, why does Oregon allow charter schools?

Comments

[marcia]

Why does Oregon allow charter schools? Now there's a good question.

[trueblue]

I agree 100% with Attig's comments. The teachers' unions self-protecting behavior is blocking needed reform. Attig boy!