Teacher Compensation Teacher Pay

If passed into law, State Senator John Thrasher’s bill would base half a teacher’s salary on student performance. The state’s largest teachers union ripped into a proposed overhaul of teacher contracts Monday, saying the bill represented an effort to score political points instead of serious education reform. “It attacks the very people who work in our school system each and every day as opposed to giving them the resources that are needed to succeed,” said Andy Ford, president of the Florida Education Association, at a news conference called to slam the proposal from Sen. Thrasher, R-St. Augustine.

March 4, 2010 – New York Times
Race to the Top Finalists Announced

The Department of Education today announced the sixteen finalists in the Race to the Top – Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Tennessee. First round winners will be announced April 1.

February 23, 2010 – Deseret News
Utah Teacher Performance Pay Plans

Rep. Marie Poulson, D-Cottonwood Heights, is proposing a resolution that recommends guidelines for teacher performance pay plans. HJR3 passed unanimously through the Senate Education Committee Monday and will head to the Senate for debate.

January 12, 2010 – Georgia Public Broadcasting
Georgia Governor Sends Letter to Teachers Calling for Merit Pay

Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue sent a letter to teachers today after outlining his proposal to implement a pay system for teachers based on student performance. The letter can be found at the link above.

January 10, 2010 – The Detroit News
Michigan Gets in the Race

Nearly 89 percent of all Michigan districts have signed a formal Memoranda of Understanding to participate in the state's application for federal Race to the Top stimulus dollars. The more districts that sign MOU's, the greater the state's chances to receive money through the $4.3 billion education reform initiative. Many unions, spurred by the Michigan Education Association, urged their locals not to sign on because of certain aspects of the plan related to teacher evaluation and compensation.