Teacher Bonuses

The governor’s bonuses for public school teachers who accomplish something that they were hired to do in the first place (improve student performance) seems to be very close to an illegal gift of public funds (Oct. 30). What happens when a school’s API score drops in the year(s) after teachers in that school received a bonus award? What if the score drop goes below the original baseline year? Who gets the credit or blame when a change in school demographics or boundaries causes significant score fluctuations?

It is because of the many complexities and variables associated with trying to attribute causes for student results on standardized testing that the California education code prohibits the use of such tests in evaluating teachers. Isn’t that exactly what the governor has done in awarding these bonuses?

Dennis L. Evans

Newport Beach