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Bio
E-mailThis story last week about GOP Gov. Charlie Crist vetoing a Florida bill that would have directly linked teacher pay to classroom performance is a big deal beyond his state. It's a setback in one of the latest causes in education reform, and that is helping students get better teachers by determining how well they perform in the classroom.
President Obama is in on this crusade. He's pressing for students to have more effective teachers, which is why he wants states and districts to link pay to classroom performance. This connection even is one of the fundamentals of his administration's Race to the Top effort.
Michelle Rhee has pushed for the same link in Washington, D.C., where she is superintendent. And, to the surprise of some, she just got the city's teacher union to go along with her aim of getting rid of bad teachers in return for higher pay for good teachers.
But here comes Crist, a Republican, undermining the effort to get more effective teachers in the classroom. He says he heard from many parents on this, urging him to veto the bill. But it's an odd move. Obama, a Democrat
Michelle Rhee has pushed for the same link in Washington, D.C., where she is superintendent. And, to the surprise of some, she just got the city's teacher union to go along with her aim of getting rid of bad teachers in return for higher pay for good teachers.
But here comes Crist, a Republican, undermining the effort to get more effective teachers in the classroom. He says he heard from many parents on this, urging him to veto the bill. But it's an odd move. Obama, a Democrat
