Chat Wrap-Up: Do Teacher-Pay Incentives Work?

On Oct. 25, readers’ questions on teacher-pay incentives were answered by a panel that included Tricia Coulter , the director of the Education Commission of the States’ Teaching Quality and Leadership Institute, in Denver; Sabrina W.M. Laine , the director of the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, in Washington; and Ben Schaefer , the program manager of the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. Below are excerpts from the discussion:

Question: In my experience, star teaching candidates make employment decisions based on factors such as excellence of the work environment and administrative support, almost never on an isolated bonus or incentive. What groups are most attracted by incentives? Novice teachers? Minority candidates? Do we really know that incentives are the determining factor in accepting an offer?

Schaefer: Targeted incentives can be effective in filling specific needs or in attracting minority candidates. But many high-quality candidates will choose not to apply, or will leave in the first few years of employment, if they are not given the supportive working environment they need to be successful. Until we broaden our discussion of incentives to include administrative support, opportunities for professional growth, and time for collaboration, we will not attract and retain the quality...