"An attempt by Boston school officials to pay teachers bonuses for students who do well in college-level courses - a highly contentious move opposed by many teachers - violates the city’s teacher union contract, according to an arbitrator’s ruling that was obtained yesterday by the Globe."
Boston public schools had wanted to give math teachers at the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science in Roxbury $100 for each of their students with a high score on the Advanced Placement college exam, as part of a grant program funded primarily by Exxon Mobile Corp.
The hope was that the money would encourage more teachers to take on Advanced Placement courses, which make students eligible for college credit if they score well on the year-end exam, potentially saving them thousands of dollars in tuition. The number of AP courses a school offers is considered a barometer of academic rigor.