Public school teachers deserve "a payoff for good performance," says a Detroit News editorial urging state lawmakers to consider merit pay as they address education reforms.
It is essential that school administrators do what they can to recognize and reward their best teachers. . . .
In Michigan and around the country, teachers have traditionally been paid based on their experience and degrees — not how well they do. Recent studies . . ., highlight how many good teachers end up leaving the profession because they don’t feel valued or rewarded for their hard work.
Merit pay is one way of addressing those concerns.
However, the editorial suggests that legislators first approve a statewide teacher evaluation system "to make sure they’re not putting the cart before the horse."
