"You're finally going to begin to see some innovation in teacher compensation."
-- Gov. Jim Doyle
It's about time.
For too long, Wisconsin public school teachers have earned their pay based on years of service and advanced degrees.
Their performance wasn't a factor.
Finally, it appears, that's going to change, thanks to pressure from President Barack Obama and his reform-minded Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
Obama recently announced $4.35 billion in competitive grants for states that propose innovative ways to improve student achievement, especially among disadvantaged students. But to qualify for Obama's "Race to the Top" grants, states must allow local school districts to use student test scores in evaluating teachers -- something Wisconsin law now bans.
Duncan recently called Wisconsin's law "simply ridiculous." And Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, and Sen. Randy Hopper, R-Fond du Lac, introduced legislation Tuesday to repeal the state's silly ban on pay for performance.
No one is suggesting that testing be the only factor in evaluating teachers. Moreover, the focus should be on student progress over time -- not a single test. School districts should compare student performance at the beginning of a school year with their performance at the end to help gauge the effectiveness of teachers and teaching techniques.
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