Since the story about Delta Board of Education Chair Dale Saip鈥檚 backing Kevin Falcon鈥檚 scheme for a 鈥渕erit pay鈥� incentive program for teachers was published, I have been contacted by teachers, parents, and even an MLA who have all expressed concern about Mr. Saip鈥檚 comments, acknowledged by him as expressions of his own personal views. But his remarks haven鈥檛 been especially helpful, mainly because Mr. Saip is the recently re-elected chair of the Delta Board of Education.

People are asking if Mr. Saip鈥檚 support for teacher merit pay represents a shift in school board policy, or if his remarks are simply the affirmative musings of someone who sees political advantage in helping Falcon be elected premier of British Columbia.

Mr. Saip is a long-serving Delta trustee. He would not have been elected or re-elected trustee, nor been re-elected to the position he presently occupies, without being judicious in his public remarks. Uttered by the chairperson of the board, expressions of personal opinion may be taken by some as official statements of board policy.

For a 鈥渘ew idea,鈥� merit pay is a tired concept that has failed everywhere else it has been tried. Extrinsic incentive programs like this are divisive, with potential to harm employee relations at a time when all people of goodwill should be working together to meet the challenges of teaching and learning in the 21st century.

I call upon Mr. Saip to give careful reconsideration to his endorsement of Falcon鈥檚 merit-pay incentive plan and to rescind his endorsement of it.

Paul Steer, President

Delta Teachers鈥� Association