Newark teachers approve merit pay, Chicago Teachers Union turns down $34 million in merit pay funds

It's come to this--Chicago is being shamed by Newark, Jew Jersey. It's unionized teachers--by a 62 percent majority--approved merit pay for themselves.

More from a Chicago Tribune op-ed:

And Chicago? Still way behind the curve. The Chicago Teachers Union fended off a CPS proposal for merit pay in contract negotiations this year. "We don't believe in merit pay," Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis said.

Lewis' intransigence forced CPS officials to turn down $34 million in federal grant money targeted to develop a merit pay system for public school teachers. CPS had to give the money back to the government because the CTU wouldn't cooperate on a pilot project. What a terrible setback for CPS students, and what an odd decision for teachers to reject the opportunity to earn more money.

Merit pay is a prime way to recognize the best-performing teachers and keep them in the classroom, where they boost student achievement. Newark's teachers apparently get that.

So...the far-left Chicago Teachers Union--which went on strike for more pay three months ago--pissed away $34 million for teachers because the conditions in accepting it didn't jibe with the CTU's ossified views on teacher pay.

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