Bad Bonus.

I read an article in the Austin-American Statesman today about a Round Rock public school superintendent who will be receiving a bonus if his district achieves a high ranking on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, more commonly known by its acronym, TAKS, a benchmark test administered to students in all public schools.

The article discusses what a fantastic and rare incentive this is for the Round Rock superintendent but, I believe, entirely fails to discuss any possible consequences of having a superintendent who, because of this monetary incentive, will likely put more pressure on teachers and principals.

Many public school teachers are already frazzled by the “teach to the test” curriculum that Texas has adopted, and some teachers have their jobs hinging on whether or not their students pass the TAKS test. With a superintendent out for personal gain, the pressure on the teachers will certainly increase. I can not see how pressured teachers would be beneficial to the overall education in Texas public schools.

The article, however, does note that in Austin public schools, instead of the superintendent receiving a bonus for good results, teachers and principals are the recipients of the bonus. The author, however, seems more in favor of superintendents receiving the bonus, because the article continues to state how rare superintendent bonuses are and how admirable it is that the supernatant in Round Rock will be one of the few to receive a bonus.

To me, the article did not display an accurate assessment of the issues concerning attaching a supernatant bonus for high TAKS scores; rather it came across as an empty glorification.