This is an issue that Obama has been solid. For the past year, he has been supporting this idea. See here, here and here.

I have no idea why Obama is taking this position as its a lose-lose with the powerful teachers unions. Both the union hierchies and the rank-and-file membership don’t want.

It was voted on by my own districts union and trounced. The district’s board agreed with us. Florida’s teachers were given the opportunity to vote on it and only a handful of counties opted in. The devil’s in the details.

For example, I teach freshman Biology to average learners. A class for advanced learners exist as well. Its hard to imagine comparing my success to that of my colleague who teaches Honors - let alone someone who teaches 3rd graders.

Both teachers and districts agreed that there is no plausible way to establish an equitable plan to administer. Districts agreed on this and also knew that a very expensive beauracracy would have to be created to administer pay.

Some reports say that Obama was actually booed at the NEA convention. Perhaps he doesn’t realize that all teachers don’t agree it politically, but for the most part all teachers agree that merit pay is a non-starter. Its not outside the realm of possibilty that some stauch liberal democrat teachers would be disuaded from voting for Obama on this one issue.