Frozen Assets: Rethinking Teacher Contracts Could Free Billions for School Reform

I don't know how I missed this -- this is a really important study, which highlights how much money we're wasting on a dysfunctional teacher compensation system.  Here are the eight factors covered in the study:

But many common provisions of teacher contracts require school districts to spend substantial sums to implement policies which research has shown have a weak or inconsistent relationship with student learning.

This report examines eight such provisions:

•  Increases in teacher salaries based on years of experience;

•  Increases in teacher salaries based on educational credentials and experiences;

•  Professional development days;

•  Number of paid sick and personal days;

•  Class-size limitations;

•  Use of teachers’ aides;

•  Generous health and insurance benefits; and

•  Generous retirement benefits.

Below is a summary of the report and the full report can be found at http://www.educationsector.org/research/research_show.htm?doc_id=436576

 

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Frozen Assets: Rethinking Teacher Contracts Could Free Billions for School Reform

By Marguerite Roza

http://www.educationsector.org/research/research_show.htm?doc_id=436576

January 8, 2007

State and federal accountability systems are putting immense pressure on public schools to improve the performance of low-achieving students. To respond, schools must be able to recruit and retain high-quality teachers, strengthen curricula, and take other steps to provide struggling students with the help they need.