The teachers union in Washington State turned down millions of dollars in grant money that would have gone to boosting teacher salaries. What, you say? A pair of editorials today explain the story. First, the Daily News Online:That $13.2 million grant Washington state won last year to enhance the teaching of Advanced Placement courses in math and science is history. It’s lost because of the financial incentives it would have provided for teachers who improve test scores. The Washington Education Association didn’t much like the idea of tying teacher pay to student performance on exams. Neither did the teachers union like the involvement of an outside party, the grant provider, in teacher-pay decisions. The zinger, though, comes … [Read more...]