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Want to kill performance pay for decades to come? Just do what legislators in Florida are doing. Design a performance pay bill that's so preposterous, so over the top, that it is bound to be a dismal failure. Then watch as your complete abdication of common sense wreaks havoc in schools and irreparably tarnishes the very reforms you advocate.

The bill in question is Florida's Senate Bill 6, and it's a real stinker. It would require schools to base teachers' pay and evaluations mostly on students' test scores. The bill is unencumbered by reality. Here's how Washington Post blogger Valerie Strauss describes some of its stinkier provisions:

His bill includes a demand that end-of course assessments be developed or acquired in all subjects not measured by state assessments or other tests such as Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate. But it doesn’t provide any money to accomplish the task--even if there was research suggesting these kinds of tests would be useful evaluation measures, which there isn’t.

Wow. I'm fairly sure that the smarter crop of merit pay advocates--you know, the ones who can read and don't struggle with dementia--don't think this bill is a good idea. But such people are unfortunately all too scarce in the Florida senate.

The bill's sponsor, state Sen. John Thrasher, doesn't inspire much conficence. According to Strauss, the aptly-named Thrasher "calls the bill 'the hammer,' which he says is necessary to force the Florida teachers union to end its opposition to merit pay for teachers." But that hammer is likely to destroy a lot else besides, including the hopes of anyone who wants to see merit pay gain long-term credibility and support.

It's never, ever wise to use reckless lawmaking as a weapon against your opponents.

(Sherman Dorn has more to say here.)