Missouri teachers OK with merit pay

Oklahoma is stepping up to the merit pay idea. Good for them! Missouri should follow this example. In today's Tulsa World:

Certified personnel at three Union elementary schools will receive financial rewards for their students' test scores, the district announces.

Teachers at three Union elementary schools are to receive a financial award for their students' test scores.

Calling this the beginning of merit pay for teachers in Oklahoma, Union Superintendent Cathy Burden announced at the school board's regular meeting Monday that three of the district's elementary schools qualified for financial awards from the state.

Burden said she was informed by the Oklahoma State Department of Education that Cedar Ridge, Roy Clark and Moore elementary schools were among 63 Oklahoma schools whose certified personnel will receive financial awards.

"I'm pretty flabbergasted, actually, at this information," Burden said.

"I wanted you to know how proud we are of these schools."

The additional income for teachers at the three schools will total $144,500, with those at Cedar Ridge receiving $3,000 each and certified staff members at Roy Clark and Moore receiving $500 awards.

Cedar Ridge is being rewarded for having the highest Academic Performance Index Score in the "all" category, with a score of 1,469, Burden said.

API scores measure performance and progress in schools and school districts and are a central part of the accountability system Oklahoma created to comply with the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

The audience gasped Monday night when Burden announced that the financial award for certified staff members at Cedar Ridge will be $3,000 each.

Roy Clark is being rewarded for improving its API score by 300 points -- the fourth-largest gain by a school in the state, said Burden.

Moore will receive an award for having the fourth-highest test scores for schools with enrollments of more than 500, Burden said.

Missouri could use some encouragement for merit pay. Our schools could use something to encourage change and improvement!