Merit pay proposed for outstanding educators

Extra monetary incentives for high-performing educators may just be a driving force to uplift the Commonwealth’s crusade for academic excellence in public schools.

This is the premise behind a proposed legislative measure that seeks to establish a performance-based merit pay system for outstanding school personnel in the public education sector.

The initiative, suggested by Rep. William S. Torres, recommends the institution of a merit pay system that augments the existing pay scale of school principals, teachers and other instructional staff based on improvement in standardized test scores, attendance rates, and grade-to-grade promotion rates, as well as any other appropriate measurable indicators of student performance.

The act dubbed as the Public School Performance-Based Compensation System of 2001 is anticipated to upgrade the level of competency and learning among schools students through well-compensated and satisfied educators who go the extra mile to reach academic quality.

The legislator explained that the incentive scheme is similar to programs that reward exemplary performance, citing it is an effective means of motivating change and improvement in schools.

He indicated research studies that cite principals, as leading figures in the school improvement process with school teachers and ancillary school personnel, are in the best position to effect positive changes in the learning accomplishments of a given school.

According to Mr. Torres, there is a need to improve student performance in several measurable areas such as standardized test scores, attendance rates, and grade-to-grade promotion rates, based on standards used by accrediting commissions of schools and colleges that are quantifiable, both quantitatively and qualitatively.

He added that as current levels of performance vary widely, such incentives must be based on improvement rather than one established degree of achievement.

The proposed legislation has designated the Commissioner of Education to establish a merit pay system for school principals, teachers and ancillary school personnel so as to encourage measurable improvement in school performance.

The program shall reward educators for improvement that their schools achieve in measurable areas of performance, including but not limited to standardized test scores, attendance rates, and grade-to-grade promotion rates.

The concerned parties shall be awarded additional compensation as an additional percentage of the base monthly salary or as lump sum award at the end of the semester or school year or in another form as deemed appropriate by the COE, in consultation with schools and members of the Board of Education.