Keeping Good Teachers

Drew Johnson of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research argues that the ultimate key to improving the educational system is keeping better teachers, and the best way to keep better teachers is to reward the best by paying them better. Of course, the teachers unions, who talk about educators being respected as professionals most of the time but transform themselves into low grade union thugs when pay becomes the issue, disagree with the notion of rewarding good performance.

Mr. Johnson is right. It is unfortunate that the only way good teachers can improve their pay is to leave teaching either for the central office or for employment in the private sector. The best teachers should be the best paid employees in the school system.