Program That Rewards Senior Teachers Stirs Flap in Philadelphia

By Daniel Gursky

With the city of Philadelphia facing severe financial problems, a program that boosts salaries for some senior teachers in the city school district--at a cost totaling up to $16 million this school year--is raising some eyebrows.

The "senior career teacher'' program, as it is known, rewards teachers who have a master's degree, 60 additional college credits, 10 years' teaching experience, and dual certification. Under the program, most such teachers receive a raise of more than $5,000 in their base pay.

Although the current teachers' contract expires this summer, no one expects the district to try to eliminate the senior-career-teacher position, which was negotiated into the teachers' 1988 contract. The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, in fact, has said that any move to make such a change would...