Incentive Pay

By Clifford B. Janey

Pay increases should not be based solely on time served in a position or the number of academic degrees held.

Accountability has been a central principle, along with fairness and affordability, in my district's contract talks this year with both teachers and administrators. The reason for this is simple: Success must be measured before it can be rewarded. Pay increases should not be based solely on time served in a position or the number of academic degrees held, but also on performance as measured by specific standards.

In the case of teachers, this is an issue that has been raised by parents and educators for years. In fact, even the president of the American Federation of Teachers, Albert Shanker, has said that "coursework and seniority do not guarantee knowledge and skill" and, for that reason, "it's more important to recognize that incentives do work; they are major motivators of the behavior...