Dan Pink- why simply implementing merit pay for teachers isn't the answer

Thanks to Vicki Davis, I just came across this article written a few months ago by Dan Pink.

He writes succinctly about an issue I have been struggling with since I joined the field of education seven years ago. Is merit pay the answer? Pink says no. And cites 8 reasons why. Here is number 4, simple and clear. Couldn't agree more!

4. There’s a simpler solution. My own solution for the teacher pay issue, which I’ve voiced many times both in writing and in speeches, is to strike a bargain: Raise the base pay of teachers – and make it easier to get rid of underperforming teachers. Not only is this approach more consistent with the evidence, it’s easier to implement and doesn’t require a new bureaucracy to administer. (To her credit, Michelle Rhee launched some efforts to move in this direction.)

So, how do we make that happen?

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