Do they? I suppose there are lots of situations where someone gets paid for performance: sports, CEO, chef, waiter, actor, salesman, and many more.
I can also think of a few where it doesn't happen, I think; this is where you, readers, come in. I am going to list some jobs that I don't think offer merit pay: police officer, firefighter, teacher, postal worker, census taker, burger flipper, and many more. Am I right about these not giving merit pay? Because that is my premise. Let me continue, regardless any erroneousness.
This whole nonsense about merit pay for teachers being reasonable because everyone else does it is a straw man, right? Besides, how the hell do we rate teachers? Based on the scores of their students who show up each day with variables out of the school's control? Or should it be on student happiness? Or parent satisfaction? Or are there different evaluative processes for different kinds of teachers?
Instead of trying to find a way to pin student outcomes squarely on teachers, let's help pass health care reform, revamp the tax code to make it fair for all Americans, and get principals out of the business of evaluating teachers!
Just some thoughts on this Sunday evening.