Honeymoon's Over

Don't you just love those first few months of a new relationship? "Oh, you like the Beatles too? And you like sushi? Me too!" Everything they say is interesting, and you can't wait to hear their next thought. Each new utterance is like a door opening on a brand new day. Then, eventually, comes a day when some of the magic has worn thin. "What do you mean comic books? These are graphic novels!" It is precisely this kind of friction that makes life more interesting, and I believe the thing that keeps relationships alive.
So imagine my surprise when I discover that my love affair with my President has just hit a snag. "You want to redistribute wealth? Sounds great, especially the way you say it. Tax breaks for the middle class? What a wonderful idea. Merit pay for teachers?" And then the room goes quiet.
I can't say that it came as a surprise. It has been on all the badges, posters, stickers and T-shirts. I guess I wasn't sure that we would get to it this quickly. Education reform is going to happen right along with the economy and health care and Iraq and a playoff system for college football. Barack Obama is a man of his word. It just so happens that this particular word gives me pause.
"Too many supporters of my party have resisted the idea of rewarding excellence in teaching with extra pay, even though we know it can make a difference in the classroom." Teachers, as a union, held their breath. Does this mean that teachers with high test scores get big checks? What about those of us who dare to stick it out in Program Improvement schools?
The good news is that "achievement" is a broad term, and his administration is showing an active interest in working on this with educators, not to them. "That is a wonderful feeling, for the president of the United States to acknowledge and respect the professional knowledge and skills that those educators bring to every job in the school," president of the National Education Association, Dennis van Roekel said.
Still, he gets a gleam in his eye when he starts talking about charter schools and a longer school years, but I just can't stay mad at him. Not yet, anyway.