[grasshopper2]

You make a good point about how A students will continue to be "A" students even if they are taught in the "F" school. And I agree with you that the merit pay increase would unfairly benefit teachers with the A students.

However, merit pay tied to score improvement is still a good idea if offered only to the "F" schools and using the standardized test scores is really the only way to access merit fairly. Any other accessment could be political.

[summer]

Any other accessment could be political.

That's true. If you want to give some teachers more money, for say, doing X,Y, and Z, it is often predetermined which teachers are ALLOWED to do x,ty, and z, thereby denying many other willing teachers from obtaining that potential extra money. And, local education is more political than any field I've ever experienced. If you are not one for local politics, stay out of local education!!! (I think that is VERY good advice!)