Extra pay urged at poorest schools

 

It's good to see even a little bit of progress on this front (from the Education Gadfly).  The journal of 1,000 miles begins with one step...

Teachers union, which have defended the ''single salary schedule'' like the Rock of Gibraltar, are beginning to sign on to ''combat pay'', i.e. bonuses for teaching in high-poverty schools. Both the Massachusetts Teachers Association and the Bay State's AFT chapter recently announced their support for this form of ''differential'' pay. AFT Massachusetts president Thomas J. Gosnell said, ''I don't see how [students in high-poverty schools] can get better services if there are not incentives for teachers to provide additional time and programs for the students.'' Unfortunately, the unions still oppose merit pay, which ties teacher salaries to student achievement. Nor do they support extra cash for teaching a high-need subject, such as math or science. So much for incentives. Still, cracks are starting to show in the union's armor, and sooner or later the entire single salary schedule is likely to crumble.

''Extra pay urged at poorest schools,'' by Maria Sacchetti, Boston Globe, November 30, 2006

Extra pay urged at poorest schools

Teachers' unions propose incentives

By Maria Sacchetti, Globe Staff  |  November 30, 2006

http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2006/11/30/extra_pay_urged_at_poorest_schools/

The state's teachers' unions are calling for extra pay for teachers in high-poverty schools, marking the first time that the unions have banded together behind a new type of teacher pay.