Your recent column on the corporate tuition tax credit contained an important misconception that I would like to address.

More “An Open Letter to Richard Ruelas (Matthew Ladner)”

Andrew Coulson, no supporter of our New Jersey lawsuit, goes after People for the American Way for the group’s witch hunt press release slamming Alliance president Clint Bolick. 

You a principal?  Looking to make some dough?  A Democratic gubernatorial candidate has got a deal for you:

Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley today will propose paying signing bonuses of $200,000 — believed to be the largest of their kind in the nation — to principals hired to lead dozens of Maryland’s lowest-performing schools.

The hefty bonuses, designed to lure seasoned educators from across the state and country to jurisdictions including Prince George’s County, are included in a package of "new ideas" on education that the Democratic gubernatorial hopeful plans to present this afternoon.

While I’m definitely all about merit pay, I’m a bit doubtful on this idea–the whole concept behind merit pay is increasing compensation after improvement is seen, not merely to get warm bodies into open slots.  Matt Johnston is similarly skeptical, but has a few suggestions to make the proposal work. 

You a principal?  Looking to make some dough?  A Democratic gubernatorial candidate has got a deal for you:

Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley today will propose paying signing bonuses of $200,000 — believed to be the largest of their kind in the nation — to principals hired to lead dozens of Maryland’s lowest-performing schools.

The hefty bonuses, designed to lure seasoned educators from across the state and country to jurisdictions including Prince George’s County, are included in a package of "new ideas" on education that the Democratic gubernatorial hopeful plans to present this afternoon.

While I’m definitely all about merit pay, I’m a bit doubtful on this idea–the whole concept behind merit pay is increasing compensation after improvement is seen, not merely to get warm bodies into open slots.  Matt Johnston is similarly skeptical, but has a few suggestions to make the proposal work. 

Interesting story on the Detroit teachers strike currently in progress.  Not unlike their cousins over in the UAW, they don’t quite see that black hole at the end of the tunnel:

Detroit Public Schools officials fear the teacher strike that began Monday may exacerbate budget problems in the district, which already is projecting a 9,300-student decline this school year after last year’s loss of nearly 11,000.

Knee-deep in debt, the district can’t afford to lose more students to charter schools and neighboring districts, which costs Detroit about $7,450 per student in state funding.

At the end of the first day of the teacher walkout, a Wayne County judge on Monday ordered negotiators for both sides to bargain until 7 p.m. today in hopes of ending the standoff that some say could further cripple the district.

"If we don’t have the revenues, then we can’t keep the number of employees we have," Detroit Public Schools spokesman Lekan Oguntoyinbo said. "If we are planning for 119,000 students and we have 112,000 students then we have to lay off employees. That’s why a strike is so damaging."

[snip]

In recent years, charter schools and neighboring school districts have drawn thousands of students away from Detroit. Collectively, the city’s 41 charter schools saw enrollment grow 23 percent over last year to 23,753 students.

Parents, however, may have difficulty finding options with many charters now at full capacity and enrollment periods at some neighboring districts already closed.

I’ve written elsewhere about the response of school districts to the loss of students (and therefore revenue) to school choice.  Unions don’t see things the same way, though.