A report by the Center for American Progress outlines the differing features of 10 districts that have restructured their entire teacher-compensation systems.
The districts profiled are: Baltimore; Denver; Douglas County, Colo.; Harrison District 2, also in Colorado; Hillsborough County, Fla.; Lawrence, Mass.; New Haven, Conn.; Pittsburgh; Putnam County, Tenn.; and the District of Columbia.
Those districts have set varying criteria for awarding salary increases, rather than layering “bonus” pay on top of the existing salary schedule (typically determined by experience and credentials held). All of the districts tie raises to some type of performance measure, such as teacher evaluations.
Among its findings, the report notes that most of the districts, as expected, let the top teachers earn significantly more than they would have under the old systems. But it indicates that “typical,” proficient teachers also tend to earn more than previously, and in some cases have closed the gap with other professional salaries in the same metropolitan areas.
