The program is part of the package of school finance legislation passed in the recent special session. The Dallas Morning News has an editorial today saying that developing an implementing incentive pay programs is likely to be messy, but may have real benefit. LINK
But it's vital to avoid hastily drawn, vague or poorly written proposals that could end up undermining a promising program. Top state officials have an obligation to provide clear guidance to districts on what objective measures are appropriate to use.
State officials also must be mindful of the stress, resentment and confusion reported in San Antonio as teachers struggled for a fair way to divvy up bonus money awarded to campuses under a pilot performance-pay program advanced by the governor.
Texas' long and growing list of failing schools requires triage. With Sen. Florence Shapiro of Plano as a prominent champion of the incentive-pay concept, lawmakers did the right thing in crafting workable outlines of a program. Now, it's the execution that matters.
