Teacher Merit Pay Axed From Leading Texas House Bill to Fund Schools

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.AUSTIN -- A Texas House committee on Tuesday delivered a blow to proponents of teacher merit pay. The author of the leading House bill to overhaul public school education across Texas struck a controversial plan to create a $140 million program that offered raises to only top-performing teachers. Instead, that money will be funneled toward schools with the highest percentages of low-income students to give incentives to teachers to work at the toughest campuses. For weeks, teacher groups have spoken out against a statewide system that rewards only some teachers with higher salaries. They demanded that all teachers be paid the national average before merit pay is put on the table, and expressed preference for a bill that was unanimously supported in the Senate to give every teacher a $5,000 pay raise.   Continue reading...