Forget that the federal government has no role in education.

Today I was astonished to read that federal ED Secretary Margaret Spellings announced that $237.4 million of our tax dollars will be spent over the next five years for “incentives to teachers and principals who improve student achievement and close achievement gaps in high-poverty schools.”

Hmmm . . .

How will it be determined which teachers and principals closed the achievement gaps? How come only teachers in high-poverty schools are eligible? Is closing the achievement gap any less meaningful in low-poverty schools? Careful now. We wouldn’t want to feed the “soft bigotry of low expectations” by distinguishing.

Which of course brings us back to, Why are we using tax dollars to award those who are doing the job they are hired to do? Mind you, I am not against merit pay, but this is not how to go about it whatsoever. Sigh, folks will slough it off as nothing more than $237 million . . . just a drop in the bucket.

Also blogged on this date . . .

• Maker Magic: Earthcaches & (bring your own) Coffee - 2023
• Love That Dog - 2023
• Daiquiri - 2022
• The Long Game - 2022
• Casey at the Bat - 2021
• If I Were in Charge of the World - 2021
• The Praying Mantis Bride (Nameless #3) - 2020
• Hat Trick4: The wrong way in. - 2019
• I Wanna be a Cowgirl - 2019
• 240.6 - 2019
• Foundation (Foundation, #1) - 2019
• The Book Whisperer: Chapter 3: There's a Time and a Place - 2018
• My Fidget Spinner - 2017
• Where Is the Love? - 2016
• The Complete Guide To Sandbag Training - 2015
• Life Is Unfair - 2014
• Goodreads Interview with Susan Cain - 2013
• Is This Why We Pay Taxes? - 2012
• 18th Annual Bubble Day - 2012
• Line of the Day - 2012
• Don't Sweat the Small Stuff - 2011
• Public Perception - 2010
• Happy Flag Day - 2010
• Birthplace of a Stooge - 2009
• How Did You Get Involved with Barbecuing? - 2009
• Trail Head Locationless Signs - 2008
• The Responsible Thing - 2006
• Sleuth - 2004
• Barnegat Cache - 2003
• "A Little of Everything" - 2003
• Diversion - 2003
• Bridge that goes Nowhere? - 2003
• Wings - 2003
• Greyflank's First Cache - 2003
• Fisherman's Cove - 2003
• Go Fetch - 2003
• Flotsam & Jetty-sam - 2003
• "Where's the Cream Filling?" - 2003
• Metedeconk River Watch - 2003
• Wilderness Trail - 2003
• Island Beach Cache - 2003
• Take It To The Limit - 2003
• Tigers vs. Red Sox - 1989