Pay-for-performance may be necessary for higher achievement, but it is far from sufficient, write Theodore Hershberg and Barbara Lea-Kruger in this Education Week Commentary. Teacher incentives only reward some teachers, the best teachers, and do nothing for struggling teachers and their students, argue Hershberg and Lea-Kruger.
More than incentives alone, Hershberg and Lea-Kruger say we need large-scale systemic changes to improve the effectiveness of all teachers. These changes include better evaluation processes for teachers, more support for struggling teachers, changing the school calendar, and professional development spending reviews.
What do you think? Is pay-for-performance a viable strategy for educational reform? Would it be effective without other systemwide changes? How can it be improved?
