Public schools shape the experiences of our children for 13 years. While many public schools serve their students exceptionally well, others are struggling. Inequities in student performance, financial resources for schools, and teacher quality are persistent. Children from poor families and minority ethnic backgrounds have been repeatedly shortchanged.
One change initiative touted as a potential solution to low student performance and teacher quality is merit pay, or pay for performance. People tend to assume that unions oppose all such initiatives, but that's untrue. Fifty-three schools and school districts, from all over the country, have accepted federal grants that have allowed them to implement pay-for-performance through the Teacher Advancement Program. President Obama has proposed raising the number of districts participating in programs like this to 150.