Teacher Panel Calls for Overhaul of Pay

A team of 18 blue-ribbon teachers released recommendations today for a significant overhaul of the way teachers are paid that include rewarding them individually and in small groups for raising student achievement over time and for taking on leadership roles.

In addition, the recommendations say that teachers should no longer be paid more for seniority alone or for coursework that does not translate into school or classroom improvements.

The 18 teachers, handpicked for demographic diversity as well as accomplishment by the Hillsborough, N.C.-based Center for Teaching Quality, which organized their work under the name TeacherSolutions, also recommended paying teachers more in recognition of local market conditions. Those conditions might include the need for teachers in high-demand fields such as science or those who serve in struggling schools. The panel added, however, that incentives to attract teachers to struggling schools should be contingent on evidence of their...