THE OTHER SIDE OF MERIT PAY

Tallahassee Democrat political editor Bill Cotterell mentions today how unions representing teachers and other government employees have fought merit pay raises for years. But he also shows in today's column how merit pay can actually work occasionally.

His example is the 36 employees at the State Board of Administration who received bonuses totalling $245,524.59 due to their efforts which saved the taxpayers of Florida money by cutting investment fees and by it's investment return exceeding targets. The savings were over $2 million.

Merit pay does have it's place, in the right situation. The SBA example is one of them. But the idea of tying in teacher merit raises --- or anything else, for that matter --- to FCAT simply rubs me the wrong way. Maybe as one part of an overall formula, but not the only part. FCAT needs a serious revamping, and it does not need to be considered for any idea like this in any part until that is done.