Houston in Uproar Over Teachers' Bonuses

Many highly valued teachers overlooked in test-driven system.

In the largest district-level performance-pay program in the country, the Houston Independent School District for the first time doled out $14 million in staff bonuses last month.

But once The Houston Chronicle published the names and awards of the more than 7,400 staff members who received the cash bonuses—ranging from $100 to more than $7,000—many people, including teachers, parents, and students, were left angered and wondering why some of their school’s most esteemed teachers were overlooked while others were rewarded.

“It’s embarrassing,” said Gayle Fallon, the president of the 6,300-member Houston Federation of Teachers, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers. “We have teachers who are on ‘growth plans’—which isn’t...