| The Lone Star State has voted for a new | | | | cash incentive program of the U.S. Department of |
| experiment in Texas education - indexing teacher | | | | Education's Teacher Incentive Fund which pays |
| bonuses to test scores. The higher the students | | | | out $94 million in incentives to local and state |
| score on generalized tests, the more money | | | | education boards in the form of 15 grants if they |
| teachers would take home. The program is | | | | can increase the tests cores in low-income district |
| advertised as a basic market supply-and-demand | | | | schools. |
| solution to the vexing problem of dropping test | | | | The critics insist similar programs in the past did |
| scores across the nation. | | | | not yield any significant results. They also add that |
| The $260 million dollar experiment will try to | | | | such monetary incentives will place an undue |
| prove whether a better paychecks for the | | | | focus on testing and test results, They argue that |
| 300,000 Texas teachers will translate to higher | | | | students need less emphasis on testing techniques |
| academic achievement for their students. | | | | and more on substantive learning. |
| According to the Dallas Morning News story | | | | The same news story reported that "with |
| penned by Holly H. Hacker and Terrence Stutz, | | | | teacher salaries averaging just under $42,000 [in |
| other states of the union are watching Texas | | | | Texas], the maximum bonus of $10,000 would |
| closely since this bold implementation has its critics | | | | represent a compensation jump of nearly 25 |
| as well as its cheerleaders. | | | | percent." |
| Those who defend the program like Gov. Rick | | | | Florida, Minnesota and Colorado are the other |
| Perry claim that this program will propel the State | | | | states which are rewarding their best performing |
| of Taxes to the forefront of academic excellence. | | | | teachers with cash incentives. |
| Proponents also point out to the already existing | | | | |