...or does this sound like a really bad idea?
The notion that public schools will benefit from competition is as erroneous as it is widespread. Public schools are, obviously, public, and that means they operate under a whole slew of restrictions with which their private counterparts do not have to deal. Public schools have to hire union, deal with the school board, and educate every child in the district regardless of learning disability or physical handicap. Unlike private schools, they can't cherry-pick the best students, thus elevating their test scores. It's maddening to hear private schools compared to public. It's not apples and oranges; it's apples and orcs.
However, if Houston feels the need to provide financial incentives to teachers whose students improve on test schools, why stop there? Why not just pay them based on how many of their students receive A's? I mean, if we're to buy the illusion of improvement, I'd like to purchase the best improvement available. No half-measures for me, no sir.
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