"Union failed not just the teachers, but the students"

Sonya Jones, now with the Evergreen Freedom Foundation in Olympia, is taking the Washington State teachers' union to task for keeping public schools there from getting money to teach more math and science. Ironically, the money was largely from Bill Gates, but it was only in Washington State that the teachers' union so strongly fought merit pay. Those interested can watch the segment from Fox News yesterday here. I thought that Sonya did a great job. Apparently some of the teachers who would have been eligible for the merit pay are less than thrilled.

Since unions decide things by majority vote they equalize work pay, and merit pay goes against that. Unions drive out the most productive workers who also usually happen to have the best opportunities in other professions. It is too bad. Incentives matter just has much in education as they do in other areas of life.