"The school board and teachers union clashed over a controversial initiative that gives districts federal funding in exchange for linking teacher evaluations with student growth, possibly setting the stage for a discussion of performance-based pay.
The details surrounding the federal Race to the Top initiative remain fuzzy - one of the major reasons why the Gilroy Teachers Association said it could not support the program - but Gilroy Unified School District trustees took a 'leap of faith' and voted 6-1 with trustee Mark Good dissenting to agree to the deal. Trustees believe the funding could help usher in some of the reforms educators have been talking about for years, including merit - or performance-based - pay"