If the candidates aren't going to take my advice, surely the National Education Association isn't going to either. But still, let me offer one suggestion to its executive director, John Wilson: Find a different line of attack against merit pay than this one:
The unions oppose [merit pay] because it puts too much emphasis on one measure and doesn't consider factors outside teachers' control, John Wilson, the executive director of the 3.2-million-member NEA, said in an interview here.
"It's very tough to hold the faculty accountable for test scores without holding students and parents accountable," he said.
That's a great point, John. Let's figure out a way to hold third-graders "accountable" for learning to read. "Suzy, until you decode those ten words, no recess for you!" Or parents: "Mr. Smith, we're going to garnish your wages unless you show up for next week's PTA meeting."
Mr. Wilson should just be honest: the NEA will support merit pay when hell freezes over. Which, according to Al Gore, is unlikely to happen anytime soon.
