Obama Announces Support for Teacher Merit Pay
And he did it in front of a tough crowd, the National Education Association, which opposes the concept.
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama today endorsed the idea of merit pay for teachers before an audience hostile to the idea, the giant National Education Association, but he softened the blow by telling the union's national assembly that he would not use "arbitrary tests" to link pay to performance.
"I think there should be ways for us to work with the NEA, with teachers' unions, to figure out a way to measure success," Obama told a crowd of about 9,000 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. "I want to work with teachers. I'm not going to do it too you, I'm going to do it with you."
It was a measure of Democrat Obama's rock-star appeal that he did not draw any hisses with the pronouncement, and even got scattered applause. Obama's endorsement of merit pay for teachers was the first note deviating from the promise-anything tenor of visits by several presidential candidates to the union this week.
Obama also took the opportunity to call for "across the board" pay increases for teachers and added incentives for those who are willing to work in low-performing schools. He re-affiirmed his opposition to No Child Left Behind, saying he would not support it's reauthorization, an issue of major concern to the NEA.
Barack's Choices page on Education has been updated in light of this new information.
Ron Paul
Since you have disabled comments for the Ron Paul section, I'll make a comment here. You mischaracterize most of Ron Paul's positions in your summary of his views on Education.
I notice that you mention that Barack Obama is for "across-the-board" pay raises for teachers. Why not mention Paul's position on this as well? He has introduced the Teacher Tax Cut Act into Congress every year for 8 years, which would give every elementary and secondary school teacher a $1,000 tax deduction. He has also sponsored the Professional Educators Tax Relief Act, which would extend the $1,000 deduction to school librarians, counselors, and other academic personnel. Obama has not introduced similar legislation in the Senate, so I don't know why his wish to increase teachers' pay is worth mentioning when he hasn't backed up words with actions in this case. Paul's legislation would increase every teacher's take home pay by $1,000. He says it will help in teacher recruiting, retention, and show that Congress appreciated teachers' effort. (See his comments on the bill here: http://www.house.gov/paul/congrec/congrec2003/cr021103d.htm)
Ron Paul is against No Child Left Behind and voted against it from the start, for many of the reasons cited by teachers' unions. Why not say that?
Paul has also introduced the Family Education Freedom Act, which would give a $5,000 tax credit to school-related expenses for ANY school, public, private or home school, not just private as you contend in your summary. Any parent with children in public school would be able to get a $5,000 tax credit for expenses on transportation to school, book rental fees, lab fees, field trip fees, school supplies, you name it. Anything school-related. Your write-up on that is QUITE misleading.
He has also sponsored the Education Improvement Tax Cut Act, which would give a $5,000 tax credit for cash or other donations to scholarships or any academic reason to any school, public or private. That would actually really help school funding and scholarship funding. Why not mention that as well?
You mention one time when he voted against one example of federal funding. You didn't mention that he votes against most federal funding and is strongly for lowering spending and taxes, including abolishing the IRS and the income tax, which would help people be able to pay their property taxes, which is where school funds come from.
To sum up, your piece on "Ron Paul on Education" is lacking at best and very misleading at worst.
Please revise it for accuracy.