[TBP]

As I said, the creme de la cremme, perhaps one percent of one percent, are actually excellent enough that they're arguably underpaid.

This is why merit pay would be a good idea. Teachers who perform and deserve a raise could get it without all the incompetent, lazy ideologues who pass as teachers getting one also.

[Ultima]

There are big differences is how much teachers are paid depending in which state that work in.

As for merit pay, the idea is insane. The quality of the students is a major factor in how well they perform. With merit pay you’d be paying teachers who work in the ghetto peanuts while paying teachers who work in rich areas a relative fortune. Does that make sense to you?

[Renegade]

Merit pay is a fallacy. Teachers who kiss the administrations azz get the best kids who perform well. The teachers that are actually the best get the worst learning students along with the behavior problems. These students could not and really don’t care about so the teacher gets blamed.