Despite Friday's announcement that Cincinnati teachers had overwhelmingly rejected a merit-pay proposal, their union expressed confidence that negotiations will devise an acceptable plan.

        Union members voted Wednesday and Thursday on a proposal for linking pay to performance. Ninety-six percent of union members opposed the proposal (1,892 against, 73 in favor). Nearly two-thirds of the 3,127 union members were eligible to cast ballots.

        “I wholeheartedly believe we can come up with a plan,” said Sue Taylor, president of the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers. “We support pay-for-performance. We're willing to discuss the design of a plan that gains the support of the majority of teachers.”

        Teachers say the evaluation system is too complicated and the implementation would be rocky. They also question whether the district would dole out poor evaluations to reduce teachers' pay in times of budget shortfalls.

        Ms. Taylor said discussion with the union's collective bargaining team and the district administration could continue through the summer, with a new plan ready to be considered by fall.

        The compensation plan would have been one of the first in the nation to tie teachers' pay to their teaching quality, rather than paying them based on years of experience.

        The overwhelming opposition was a big blow to the district administration, which has touted the plan as key to continuing the district's education reforms.

        Superintendent Steven Adamowski said Friday teacher quality is the most important element of quality education.

        “Our students deserve more than a "no,'” he said in a prepared statement. “I hope the community will join all of us who are committed to professionalism in teaching — teachers included — in demanding a constructive proposal from the (union) leadership.”

        District officials say they, too, are ready to talk about a workable plan to tie teachers' evaluations to their pay.

        “We remain open and have been all along,” said Associate Superintendent Kathleen Ware.

        But she said the union hasn't offered any alternative proposals to the compensation plan.

        The two sides have been blaming each other for more than a week for what both figured would be rejection by teachers.

        The union leadership in April recommended that teachers vote down the plan, after a phone poll revealed only 9 percent of teachers surveyed supported it.

        Earlier this month, Mr. Adamowski blasted the union for failing to inform teachers of three options to the plan, which he said would have secured a yes vote. The union said it didn't have enough time to do that and responded with an unfair labor practice charge accusing Mr. Adamowski of trying to mislead teachers.

        Under the “comprehensive” evaluation, which occurs every five years, teachers are assessed on 17 standards. The evaluations include prearranged and “surprise” observations by peer evaluators and administrators. Teachers must also prepare a portfolio of student work, records of parent conferences and phone calls, and personal written reflections on their teaching.

        Mr. Adamowski's options included placing only new hires on the new compensation plan and making it optional for current employees. He also suggested new hires be evaluated in their second instead of their first year and that they would receive coaching and mentoring in year one.

        A district statement Friday said: “We believe the union leadership orchestrated an uninformed "no' vote by failing to provide information to teachers in our schools and by withholding from them a proposal that would've modified the plan in a manner designed to address teacher concerns raised by a poll in March.”

        Ms. Taylor said the superintendent should listen to teachers and not use the union as a scapegoat.

        “He needs to stop the attacks and sit down with the collective bargaining team to engage in real discussion” to develop and acceptable plan, she said.

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