Districts have written merit-pay proposals in order to get part of $20 million offered by the Legislature. If district plans are accepted, public-school teachers might finally be rewarded for excellence, instead of merely being funneled through a pay system based on longevity and academic degrees.

That would benefit not only dedicated, talented teachers but also their students, as mediocre teachers would sharpen their skills in order to earn more money.

But there remain several big "ifs" affecting whether these merit-pay plans will benefit public education.

Merit pay can be a boon if the districts resist pressure to water down their plans so that underachieving teachers are not identified; if legislators allot enough money so that districts can offer significant bonuses or pay raises; and if base pay for all teachers is increased enough so that talented teachers are attracted to Utah public education in the first place.

There are two myths that must be dispelled before merit systems can be effective. The first is that there are no mediocre or poor teachers in our schools. The second is that, even if there were, there is no way to differentiate between them and the excellent teachers.

Both these myths have been used by teacher association leaders to undermine past efforts to adopt effective merit-pay plans. These groups - call them unions or associations - are determined to protect average teachers, even at a cost to top-performing ones. That is the job of unions.

In protecting the middle, unions also protect below-average teachers from close inspection and stringent evaluation - and lower pay. And they prevent the best teachers from being spotlighted and compensated. And that means there is no financial incentive for teachers to do outstanding work.

Certainly, evaluating teachers is not easy. But neither is it impossible. Probably none of the preliminary merit-pay plans being submitted by districts now will be adopted as they are written. They will evolve.

But the State Office of Education should make sure districts don't lose sight of the primary goal: to encourage better teaching by rewarding the best teachers.