Shane, a real quick thanks before zipping off to work for comment. I'm with you on the media, and your self-fulfillling prophecy angle is indeed the problem.

The great thing about social media like this is that it gives us a chance to push back.

Hey, I think you're the first commenter on this space. Isn't there a door prize? ;-)

D'oh! Brandt, we seem born to dance, but we both goofed our names. Hilarious: you called me "Shane," then I mistook that for your name. So for the record, note to self: I'm Clay, you're Brandt :)

Your concern over unions is understandable. But, to think that 'merit pay' would alleviate some of these problems is questionable. Education is extremely political. If a principal likes how you teach you will receive some benefits but if a principal does not like your teaching style even though it could be effective then the teacher does not receive the merit pay. Merit Pay would make the school a mirror of how the administrators believe teaching should be done and will eliminate any chance taking by teachers in order to keep in good standing by the administrator. This is the major concern by most educators.

Education should and must be a place where chances are taken. This is the way new ideas are born. Inquiry based education is based on this. If you eliminate this you chance having your school become one dimensional.

@James, I wrote a post on my other blog last week called "Merit Pay I Could Live With" that addresses some of the issues you raised. I don't think they're insurmountable. http://beyond-school.org/2008/12/18/an-approach-to-teacher-merit-pay-i-could-live-with/

This is an oldie, but I think worth revisiting:

THE BLUEBERRY STORY
(Teacher Gives Businessman a Lesson)
by Jamie Robert Vollmer   "If I ran my business the way you people operate your schools, I wouldn't be in business very long!" I stood before an auditorium filled with outraged teachers who
were becoming angrier by the minute. My speech had entirely consumed their precious 90 minutes of inservice. Their initial icy glares had turned to restless agitation. You could cut the hostility with a knife. I represented a group of business people dedicated to improving public schools.
   I was an executive at an ice cream company that became famous in the middle 1980s when People Magazine chose our blueberry as the "Best Ice Cream in America." I was convinced of two things. First, public schools needed to change; they were archaic selecting and sorting mechanisms designed for the industrial age and out of step with the needs of our emerging "knowledge society". Second, educators were a major part of the problem: they resisted change, hunkered down in their feathered nests, protected by tenure and shielded by a bureaucratic monopoly. They needed to look to business. We knew how to produce quality. Zero defects! TQM! Continuous improvement! In retrospect, the speech was perfectly balanced - equal parts ignorance and arrogance.
   As soon as I finished, a woman's hand shot up. She appeared polite, pleasant--she was, in fact, a razor-edged, veteran, high school English teacher who had been waiting to unload. She began quietly, "We are told, sir, that you manage a company that makes good ice cream."
   I smugly replied, "Best ice cream in America, Ma'am."
   "How nice," she said. "Is it rich and smooth?"
   "Sixteen percent butterfat," I crowed.
   "Premium ingredients?" she inquired.
   "Super-premium! Nothing but triple A." I was on a roll. I never saw the next line coming.
    "Mr. Vollmer," she said, leaning forward with a wicked eyebrow raised to the sky, "when you are standing on your receiving dock and you see an inferior shipment of blueberries arrive, what do you do?"
   In the silence of that room, I could hear the trap snap. I was dead meat, but I wasn't going to lie. "I send them back."
   "That's right!" she barked, "and we can never send back [B][I]our[/I][/B] blueberries.
    We take them big, small, rich, poor, gifted, exceptional, abused, frightened,
confident, homeless, rude, and brilliant. We take them with ADHD, junior rheumatoid arthritis, and English as their second language. We take them all!Every one! And that, Mr. Vollmer, is why it's not a business. It's school!"
    In an explosion, all 290 teachers, principals, bus drivers, aides, custodians and secretaries jumped to their feet and yelled, "Yeah! Blueberries! Blueberries!"
   And so began my long transformation. Since then, I have visited hundreds of schools.
   I have learned that a school is not a business. Schools are unable to control
the quality of their raw material, they are dependent upon the vagaries of politics for a reliable revenue stream, and they are constantly mauled by a howling horde
of disparate, competing customer groups that would send the best CEO screaming
into the night.
   None of this negates the need for change. We must change what, when, how we
teach to give all children maximum opportunity to thrive in a post-industrial society. But educators cannot do this alone; these changes can occur only with
the understanding, trust, permission and active support of the surrounding community.
   For the most important thing I have learned is that schools reflect the attitudes, beliefs and health of the communities they serve, and therefore, to improve public education means more than changing our schools, it means changing America.

I am the stay at home mother of 3 school-aged children. My husband retired in 2006 and we relocated our family to Tennessee to raise our children in a less congested, rural environment. We were shocked to read in our school district’s student handbook (reads like a medieval torture manual) that Physical (Corporal) Punishment (Paddling) was practiced in Public Schools. We never dreamed that this harsh and severe form of punishment at school would be necessary for any of our children as they are reasonable, intelligent and well behaved. We have received quite an education regarding the use of Physical Punishment of Children in Public Schools since receiving a phone call from our 13 year old son’s Middle School Assistant Principal on February 15, 2008. We were not even going to receive a "Courtesy Call" but at our son’s insistence, we were called. We have told each of our children from an early age that "No One Has The Right To Touch Them" to protect them from Sexual Abuse. She informed me that she was about to administer a "Paddling" to our son for going outside with his class when he was told to stay in. He claims he was not told to stay in. We received no communication prior to this phone call regarding any behavior problem with our son, even though we filled out emergency cards including our home phone and both of our cell phone numbers in triplicate at the beginning of the school year and my husband and I are both available and accessible all day everyday. I informed her that we do not hit our children and did not want them to paddle him. She insisted that he must be "Punished", and after discussion, an acceptable form of discipline was agreed upon.We believe that it is fundamentally wrong for adults in a profession paid for by our tax dollars and entrusted with the care and education of children to deliberately inflict physical, psychological and emotional pain and suffering on them as punishment at school when they make mistakes, which all children will make as part of their learning process.We immediately began writing letters to our elected officials, other related Governmental Agencies and the news media demanding that the Unacceptable Practice of Physical (Corporal) Punishment of Children in Public Schools be Abolished Immediately. The United States Department of Education responded to our request to President Bush and U.S. Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings by informing us that "Since the Federal government does not govern these types of issues, I would encourage you to contact The Center for Effective Discipline (CED), a non-profit organization which provides educational information to the public on the effects of corporal punishment of children and alternatives to its use. CED is currently the headquarters for and coordinates both the National Coalition to Abolish Corporal Punishment in Schools (NCACPS) and the End Physical Punishment of Children (EPOCH-USA)." The Highest Federal Agency for Education in the United States referred us, tax-paying, voting, parents to a non-profit agency and offered no remedy or avenue for reform or accountability. The U.S. Department of Education did not even offer the President’s Official Position Statement, nor the Secretary of Education’s Official Position Statement on the Physical (Corporal) Punishment of Children in Schools, they basically informed us that it is a "Local Issue." Since when is school safety and student discipline a "Local Issue?" If an adult strikes another adult with any instrument, they will be arrested and face assault and battery charges. Children in 29 states are protected from abuse at the hands of educators by State Legislation. ALL Children must be ensured equal protection by law from abuse at school Immediately.We are outraged that our Federal and Sate governments are aware of this very serious civil rights inequity and injustice (legal child abuse, school and healthcare workers must report suspected child abuse, yet they are allowed by law to deliberately inflict physical, psychological and emotional pain and suffering on children with wooden paddles with holes drilled into them or other instruments as PUNISHMENT without parental consent or notification, resulting in very serious injuries and tragic consequences) that harms over 200,000 schoolchildren per year, according to U.S. Department of Education, Office For Civil Rights statistics.Our Congressman, John Tanner wrote, "As you well know, corporal punishment has not been banned nationally due to infringements it would cause in relation to an individual state’s sovereignty. If the federal government passed a ban on corporal punishment, I am almost certain the issue would eventually end up in the federal courts." Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen and Tennessee State Department of Education Officials responded to our request by citing State Laws that allow educators to deliberately inflict physical, psychological and emotional pain and suffering to PUNISH schoolchildren without parental consent or notification with legal impunity.Not one of the above mentioned Elected Officials or Governmental Agencies provided any avenue for real reform, no accountability, no remedy, no concern for America’s children’s civil rights, no Official Position Statement in favor of or opposed to Physical (Corporal) Punishment (Paddling) of Children in Schools, and they all informed us that it is a "Local Issue."We made a verbal and written presentation to our local school board’s elected representatives demanding they take action to Abolish Physical (Corporal) Punishment (Paddling) in our County’s Public Schools and we received NO RESPONSE. The following was included in our presentation, "There is no excuse for continuing to allow the practice of striking children with paddles or any instrument. To violate a child’s body causes physical, emotional and psychological harm to the child that will result in tragic consequences for all concerned. Some of the devastating negative effects on the child are fear of attending school, low self-esteem and distrust and resentment of authority figures that last a lifetime. Recent shocking news headlines in the State of Tennessee such as "E. Tenn. Principal to Plead Guilty for Student Assault," "8-Year-Old, in Trouble at School, Hospitalized after Trying to Hang Self," "Loudon Principal Investigated in alleged Paddling of 11-Year-Old," and "Marion County Sheriff’s Office Investigates Case of Excessive Discipline" are evidence of the tragic consequences and negative effects of corporal punishment.Glaring Testament to the efforts of concerned citizens is evidenced by the names of the following non-profit organizations, some which have been working to Abolish the Unacceptable Practice of Physical (Corporal) Punishment (Paddling) in Schools for OVER 20 YEARS: Tennesseans For Non Violent School Discipline, Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education, National Coalition to Abolish Corporal Punishment in Schools, The Hitting Stops Here!, People Opposed to Paddling Students, Instead of Medicating and Punishing. Every one of these outstanding non-profit organizations was established by concerned citizens who were outraged by witnessing first-hand the unacceptable practice of educators deliberately inflicting physical, emotional and psychological pain and suffering on schoolchildren to punish them for minor infractions, sometimes with several adults restraining the child. They are dedicated to their efforts to bring AWARENESS and ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE UNEQUAL CIVIL/HUMAN RIGHTS TREATMENT OF SCHOOLCHILDREN THAT EXISTS TODAY AND THEIR GOAL IS TO ABOLISH PHYSICAL (CORPORAL) PUNISHMENT OF SCHOOLCHILDREN IN OUR NATION.What a sad testament to American society that after all this time and effort, little progress has been made. In 29 states, the Legislatures have taken action to Abolish Corporal Punishment of Children in Schools. Today, in 21 states the practice is legal and very much in use because it is EASY AND ALLOWED, perpetuating the cycle of America’s Shameful "Culture of Violence." This Powerful Model of Behavior by educators to our children reinforces Physical Violence and Bullying as the acceptable way to solve problems.Our children and their friends have told us of incidents at school where Teachers obtain obedience by inducing fear of physical harm by showing the class wooden paddles with holes drilled into them that are kept in their desk drawers and threatening physical violence against them for such infractions as forgetting their homework. They have told of kids receiving paddlings in the hall within earshot of students in class. Teachers also yell at and bully the kids. They withhold bathroom privileges and punish whole classes by demanding excessive physical exercise. Our children are afraid to raise their hands to ask questions and would rather receive a zero grade than ask about a missed assignment. This type of "Teaching" in not conducive to academic or social achievement and is unacceptable. If you want to know what is taking place in the schools, talk to the children or install cameras.As members of Tennesseans For Non Violent School Discipline, we were involved in a letter writing campaign to Newspaper Editors to raise awareness of this very important issue in Middle Tennessee. The letter thanked educators in individual paddling districts who refrain from paddling students and referenced the decline of Corporal Punishment in the state. Approximately one-third of Tennessee’s students are in non-paddling schools. These schools have implemented more effective disciplinary programs that encourage positive behavior. It is agreed by many, including such professional organizations as the American Academy of Pediatrics, National Teachers Association, National Parent-Teacher Association, National Association of School Counselors, the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the National Association of Family Physicians that the use of Corporal Punishment IS NOT NECESSARY AND IS HARMFUL TO CHILDREN AND THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.The letters to the editors cited the latest data collection of the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights – 2006 where public schools voluntarily (not mandated) reported the number of children paddled in individual schools within paddling school districts. For example, in Middle Tennessee, following are some of the statistics: Cocke Co., Northwest Elementary School paddled 17% of enrolled children; Fentress Co., South Fentress Elementary School paddled 12% of enrolled children; Haywood Co., Sunny Hill Elementary School paddled 27% of enrolled children; East Side Elementary School paddled 22% of enrolled children; Humboldt City, Stigall Middle School paddled 38% of enrolled children; Jackson-Madison Consolidated School Dist., Rose Hill Middle School paddled 15% of enrolled children; Jefferson Co., Talbott Elementary School paddled 11% of enrolled children; Lauderdale Co., Halls Junior High School paddled 38% of enrolled children; Halls High School paddled 32% of enrolled children; McMinn Co., Niota Elementary School paddled 10% of enrolled children; Meigs Co., Meigs Middle School paddled 19% of enrolled children; Monroe Co., Rural Vale Elementary School paddled 22% of enrolled children; Sequoyah High School paddled 20% of enrolled children; Tipton Co., Munford High School paddled 27% of enrolled children, Brighton High School paddled 26% of enrolled children; Warren Co., Irving College Elementary paddled 14% of enrolled children. The letters to the editors were concluded "Although the Tennessee Legislature gives teachers and administrators the right to paddle children without parental consent, we encourage parents to send letters at the beginning of each school year to your child’s teacher prohibiting corporal punishment of your child.In a report titled "A Violent Education" issued on August 20, 2008 Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) cite U.S. Education Department statistics that find school personnel in the 2006-07 school year reported disciplining 223,190 students by hitting, spanking or similar means. Alice Farmer, the report’s author, found that children are routinely paddled for "minor infractions" such as chewing gum or violating school dress codes. "It’s just fundamentally ineffective in terms of improving school discipline," she says. "It doesn’t teach kids why what they did was wrong; it doesn’t show them better behavior. What it does is teach them to be violent."
We were incredulous to learn from the above mentioned report about such Public School incidents as the use of shaved baseball bats, with handles taped for better grip (photos included), to administer Corporal Punishment, students making paddles in woodshop to be used to administer Corporal Punishment; classroom doors being locked when the bell rings with the Principal patrolling hallways, armed with a paddle, to administer Corporal Punishment to tardy students before they are allowed to enter class; a 16-year-old girls, 5 months pregnant, receiving a paddling; and teachers paddling students in class in the presence of other students.Recent shocking news articles may be accessed via the internet by typing the following headlines into any internet search engine: Texas Governor Backs Guns for Teachers; Texas Truants to be Tracked by GPS Anklets; U.S. Supreme Court Declines Appeals on Corporal Punishment; Texas Students to Wear Prison Jumpsuits for Violating School Dress Codes.TODAY, in the Harrold Independent School District in Texas, undisclosed school employees are carrying loaded, concealed weapons/guns with the approval and support of Texas Governor Rick Perry.The ONLY WAY to BRING ABOUT POSITIVE CHANGE, EQUALITY and ACCOUNTABILITY FOR OUR CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS IS THROUGH AWARENESS! Please take action to make children’s lives safer and more peaceful. YES WE CAN!

Haven't you noticed--everyone thinks they are an expert on education?  Except maybe teachers--since I became a teacher mumbledy-mumble years ago, I've noticed that an awful lot of people think teachers, or maybe educators in general, are the one category of people who don't understand education.  We lose credibility once we take that first public-school job.
Everyone does know something about education, and certainly everyone should have their say about it.  But some people really do more than others, and sometimes research really can help us understand things better.  And we each know our own niche, and our own particular concerns, reasonably well.  But equally, we all also need to recognize that none of us--not one--knows it all, or even knows enought to build an adequate system single-handedly.
But of course, it's in the very nature of education--even private education, let alone public education; even small schools, let alone large districts or entier states--that it's a complex enterprise that it takes a lot of people to carry out successfully.  (Lest someone suggest homeschooling is an exception to this, let me point out that if everyone were homeschooled, then the number of people required would multiply by a factor of something like, what 15?  20?  30?)  Quick fixes don't happen in an enterprise of this size and complexity; true change happens incrementally and spreads organically, not by fiat, however well-conceived.  
Learning takes time; that's one of the basic principles of teaching and learning.  And since education is run by people (lots of people), and those people have to learn how to do their jobs, and will have to learn how to implement any changes in what they do--meaningful, widespread change will take time. Even if we were all pushing in the same direction, that would be true--but we aren't (as you so clearly illustrated at the beginning of your post).
In case anyone wants to know, my own credentials are 12 years of teaching high school math (but only 3 of them in conventional American public schools; the rest were in the Peace Corps in Ghana; on the Navajo reservation; and one year of teaching GED courses to adults in San Francisco), before getting re-treaded into a college professor by an embarrassing number of years in grad school, and now something like 16-17 years of teaching prospective teachers how to teach math.  In my old age, I feel like I do sometimes know what I'm talking about, when it comes to the teaching and learning of math.  Outside of that specific area--my opinion isn't worth a heck of a lot more than anyone else's, at least not on the basis of any "expertise".  But that doesn't stop me from having and expressing my opinions, and even thinking some of my thoughts are worth something :-)