August is a mixed blessing – summer school is over and the afternoons are long, but teachers and students alike are aware that the first day of school is only a few weeks away. August should be a time for relaxation and preparation, but tempers have been running high for such a normally lazy month. The Washington Teachers’ Union and D.C. public schools are still locked in a stalemate over contract negotiations, the Mayor’s office is playing tug-of-war with the D.C. Council over the schools budget, and the Post is editorializing about all of it. Maybe it’s the heat.

But these aren’t just any contract negotiations – they hinge on D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s controversial merit pay proposal, which would dramatically shift the way District teachers are paid and evaluated should they choose to participate. Last week, following a series of emotional Q&A meetings with teachers, the WTU emailed its members a 37 page packet detailing the raises and bonuses teachers would be eligible for should the plan be adopted. George Parker, the WTU president, cautioned that no agreements have been reached on issues of seniority and tenure since the contract talks resumed last Wednesday. Rhee, however, told the Newshour that the negotiations were close to being finished.

For you DCist policy wonks, details of the performance pay proposal are below the jump. The rest of you, go buy some tax-free school supplies for the students (or teachers) in your life.

This is a chart included in the WTU information packet. It offers a snapshot comparing the “red” and “green” tiers offered under Rhee’s proposal. New DCPS teachers will join the system under the “green” tier.

Should the proposal pass, teachers who choose the “red” tier will be eligible for salary increases up to 28 percent over the next five years, in addition to two $5,000 “reform stipends” in 2009 and 2010, “in recognition of the challenges associated with serving during this period of transition.”

The “green” option basically offers more money in exchange for more accountability. Teachers would receive salary increases of up to 20 percent over the next five years, in addition to the $10,000 in “reform stipends.” But the key here is that "green" teachers would also be eligible for up to $20,000 in performance-based bonuses (criteria for which are still being determined, but will likely be based on value-added student achievement and for teaching high-needs subjects.)

The Post breaks down the two options as follows:

“Under [the 'red'] scenario, a teacher with a bachelor's degree and 10 years of service who makes $56,000 could receive $73,800 by 2012. A teacher with the same experience and a master's degree could receive $84,400 in salary and bonuses… Under the second option, the annual salary and bonuses for a teacher with five years of experience could go from as little as $46,500 to as much as $101,000 by 2010. Pay for a teacher with 10 years of service could jump from $56,200 to as much as $122,500.”

Teachers, what are you thinking, should the plan be approved? Red or green?

Schools Notes: The Cancer Project criticizes DCPS for its use of processed meats in cafeteria food… City Paper has a fascinating look at the history left behind when schools close… rising fuel costs puts DCPS $600K over budget during the 2007-08 school year in order to operate its 727 buses… A photo of a school official with a big gun inspires some unfortunate caption suggestions.