A new contract with the
teachers» union in 2012 included data - infused
teacher evaluations, stricter
oversight of lesson plans and attendance, and merit pay, «including incentives for high performers to stay in low - performing schools.»
President Barack Obama entered office with promises
of relief from unrealistic expectations and punitive incentives — only to double down on testing's importance by favoring value - added
teacher evaluations and to promote privatization through the charter school sector which has increasingly placed portions
of our educational commons into hands avoiding public
oversight.