APS teachers support student performance affecting pay

we've learned some albuquerque teachers are getting on board with the idea of student performance affecting their salaries. but antoinette antonio is here with why teachers still don't want standardized testing to make a difference in their pocketbook. teachers say they have no problem with accountability--- but say this has to be done by looking at the big picture... not just one test. ask any teacher -- and most will tell you that standardized testing has taken the focus away from education. but it's a method used by many school districts to measure how much you're child is learning -- and how well a teacher is teaching. "teachers embrace accountability, we want to be accountable for the impact that we have on the kids we teach, we just want toake sure its done correctly." to do that -- ellen bernstein, president of the albuquerque teacher's federation, says performance can't be based on one test a year. this issue stems from new mexico applying for "race to the top" funding. in order to get the money -- teachers have to make the mark. nats at this union meeting tonight -- bernstein announced her support for basing teacher evaluation -- and pay -- on student performance. but only if it's done by measuring students on a number of factors in the classroom. "it really is looking at evaluation in a multi- faceted way, teacher evaluation, but in a much different way than we have been looking at it." other teachers who spoke to kob eyewitness news 4 say holding teachers accountable -- will only improve education. "its funny how much kids can teach us about what they need to learn, if they're involved in the process, and the educators are involved in the process of coming up with the evaluation system i think there can be great, great gains in our system union president ellen bernstein says an exact plan on how to measure student performance is still being worked out -- but she does plan to present it to state lawmakers

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