By Lori Skurka on 3/15/2009 10:22 AM

Although the Obama administration has allocated billions of dollars to the broad category of "Education" in its first (and only?) bailout program, and in its subsequent fiscal budget proposal, it is short-sighted to think that a precision effort at remedying the educational ills in America is underway.  We think that is simply not the case.  Open issues that scream for attention:

Teacher pay:  Merit pay versus the tenure system.  Merit pay seems to be gaining some traction, but two issues cloud the picture:  (1) what is the criteria for judging "merit"?  (2) How can the Obama administration advance a concrete plan for merit pay when doing so will run directly afoul of the NEA and his other supporters in the educational establishment?  These are clearly treacherous waters.  The Administration will find it very hard to build consensus here. Reform of No Child Left Behind: The NCLB plan is oft-derided as being flawed in methodology, unfair in the inclusion of certain student categories in the test...

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