Today's Dallas Morning News has a story that missed the point. Throwing Money at Problems without understanding Best Practices is stupid....

State halts one merit pay plan for teachers, keeps newer program

By TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News tstutz@dallasnews.com
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/051809dntexmerit.4530d1d.html
AUSTIN – Texas' longest running merit pay plan for teachers is being quietly retired this year after getting lackluster returns on its $100-million-a-year investment.
Within a school finance bill recently approved by the House – and now before the Senate – is a provision that terminates the Texas Educator Excellence Grant program after four years and shifts some of its funds to a second plan launched this school year.
The so-called TEEG plan, aimed at schools in low-income areas, was plagued from the start by criteria that caused large numbers of campuses to drop in and out of the program every year. That made it difficult to determine whether the teacher bonuses were actually improving students' performance.
"The TEEG program didn't do very well. I was disappointed with the way the funds were utilized. It just never hit the mark," said Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Florence Shapiro, R-Plano.

FD: Click on the link above to read the whole story.

I am so tired of non-teachers, non-educators, and especially politicians telling teachers how to teach... because at the end of the day. Teachers simply don't listen:

"But studies showed that although affected teachers liked the extra money, more than three-fourths said the bonuses had no effect on the way they taught or their performance in the classroom."

And this whole thing in Austin is NOT about a better education for our students... our kids:

"Perry remains a strong supporter of incentive pay for teachers, a spokeswoman said, and had recommended that lawmakers put at least $311 million per year into the plan.
'Texas is proud to have the largest merit pay program in the nation,' said Katherine Cesinger, the governor's deputy press secretary, adding that Perry is still awaiting revisions in the program by lawmakers.

It is about another Texas Governor wanting to be known as the "Education President."

The Focus should be on solid Teacher Training in BEST PRACTICES...for ALL teachers not just the BEST teachers.