McDonnell for Governor: Statement on Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Promoting Performance Pay at NEA Conference
- Obama Administration Supports Performance Pay for Teachers

FROM THE OFFICE OF MCDONNELL FOR GOVERNOR

July 02, 2009

Contact: Crystal Cameron
Crystal.Cameron@bobmcdonnell.com 
(804) 612.9111


RICHMOND - United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan appeared at the National Education Association's annual convention today to promote the Obama Administration's support of performance pay for teachers.  As reported by The Los Angeles Times, Duncan told the audience  "It's not enough to focus only on issues like job security, tenure, compensation, and evaluation, you must become full partners and leaders in education reform, you must be willing to change." 

            Duncan described how, as CEO of Chicago public schools, he negotiated a performance pay program with the Chicago Teachers Union, which is part of the 1.4 million-member American Federation of Teachers, the other national teachers' union.  The program is still very small; it will be in only about 40 of Chicago's more than 600 public schools next fall.

Speaking about the Obama Administration's commitment to establish performance pay for  teachers, Bob McDonnell, Republican gubernatorial nominee and former Attorney General of Virginia, noted, "I applaud the Obama administration and their commitment to move forward with this important initiative.  We need to reward excellence in our public education system.  A vibrant system in which opportunities abound will prepare our young people for a competitive and changing world. As Governor, I look forward to working with the administration on other important education reforms, including putting Virginia in the vanguard of the charter school movement."