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Vanderbilt Study: Merit Pay Effective

Brenda Iasevoli reviews a Vanderbilt University merit pay study in Education Week online.  Teacher union opposition to merit pay is widespread because it conflicts with the idea of exclusive monopoly representation. 

In his groundbreaking book, Special Interest: Teachers Unions and America’s Public Schools, Stanford University Political Science Chairman and teacher union expert Terry Moe explains:  Some employees . . . may not want to join a union. They may object to collective bargaining. . . if they are especially talented or meritorious, say – because they think union rules will prevent them from being rewarded for their good work.

Teacher participation in a merit-pay program led to the equivalent of four extra weeks of student learning, according to a new analysis of 44 studies of incentive-pay initiatives in the United States and abroad.