By a vote of 18-16, the Senate this week voted to improve the effectiveness of public school administrators by requiring the use of performance evaluations.

We’re finally going to insist that some of our highest-paid public employees are doing their jobs. How groundbreaking. Forgive us if we’re underwhelmed. In an era of accountability, it shouldn’t have taken this long to demand performance from our top public school officials.

We here in the public sector can be terminated any time we don’t do our jobs. Many of us work in occupations less important to society than education. While we’re on the subject of merit evaluations in public schools, it’s worth mentioning that the state also has rules on the books requiring teachers be given performance reviews. But implementation has been held up by Senate Democrats.

Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen was right to criticize Senate President Justin Alfond, D-Portland, for delaying action on an evaluation plan that has been under development for more than a year. That obfuscation should cease.

As it stands, the only risk for underperforming teachers is that they might be forced into an action plan. But underperformers still partake of pay increases negotiated by the bargaining unit (or “union”) — even, in most cases, if they are not a member of that unit. Meanwhile, high performers get the same negotiated raise as everyone else.

We need to ensure our local school boards have the authority to choose an assessment tool that holds our school administrators — and teachers — to the high standards we are demanding, and to separate high performers from stragglers.

Are kids graduating with the skills they need to compete? Are principals performing optimally to carry out district policies and ensure compliance with all applicable laws and mandates? Are superintendents exercising control over their administrators?

At the state level, the superintendents’ bill, LD 1350, faces further votes in the House and the Senate. Let’s hope lawmakers agree we need to ensure we have the best people running our school systems.

And we implore those in charge of implementing standards for teacher merit pay to get their work done — or be prepared for detention.