Quick Hits (10.4.11)

Cashing in on a job well done. Top Miami-Dade educators received bonus checks for good performance during a somewhat-surprise event Monday night. District officials rewarded the checks, between $4,000 and $25,000, as part of the federal Race to the Top merit pay program. While several states participate, Miami-Dade is believed to be the first to actually reward the bonus pay. The superintendent said he sees it as an investment in teachers, 12 of whom got the top prize. (Miami Herald)

Flipped classrooms. Education Sector Managing Director Bill Tucker talks about “the flipped classroom,” one that uses online videos and other tutorials for instructional purposes and leaves classroom time for discussing, problem-solving, and otherwise enhancing the instruction. On our Teacher Sector page on Facebook, one teacher weighed in, saying “To me it feels much more like teaching and less like managing a group.” What do you think? (Education Next)

Motivation, or bribery. Seattle officials are offering schoolchildren rewards, like visits from an ice cream truck or pizza parties, in exchange for good attendance. They’re also pushing a national campaign, called Get Schooled, that provides recorded wake-up calls from hit pop stars like Wiz Khalifa and Nicki Minaj in an attempt to get more teens up and at ‘em. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

High school surfing. Hawaii officials on Monday formally recognized surfing as a high school sport; it’s the first state in the country to do so. And we suspect it might be the only state to do so, with its clear geographical advantages. (ESPN)