Besides the prohibitive cost, this approach is just plain wrong. While student performance has eroded over the last several decades, teacher pay continues to climb. The principal reason behind this alarming trend is that across the country, especially in under-performing districts, rigid salary schedules continue to determine compensation. Salaries are based on the number of credentials instructors possess and on seniority. If teachers are to be accountable, they should be paid in an accountable way.
Teachers deserve the same performance-driven compensation system that exists in other professions.
The real problem with teacher pay is that most districts do not reward excellent teachers for their superior work, and failing teachers are rarely held responsible for their students' poor performance. According to a recent Public Agenda poll, more than four out of five teachers prefer working in an environment with highly motivated and effective teachers, even if it means having to forego higher pay. Salary schedules that only reward teachers for credentials and years of service hardly motivate them to be successful in the classroom. But peer review, where teachers grade teachers, is no replacement for producing results. If teachers enhance student learning, they should be paid more, and if they continue to fail, their incompetence should not be tolerated.