Bonuses Seem Sensible, But They Haven’t Improved Teaching
The latest evidence against incentive pay: Denver teachers on strike.
This is not the outcome envisioned by champions of merit pay.
Photographer: Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images
Fourteen years ago, Denver public schools embarked on what was hailed as “the most ambitious teacher compensation plan ever attempted.” It was thoughtfully planned, following a years-long pilot program. It won approval from teachers, businesses, local philanthropies and voters.
Yet, somewhat prophetically, a 2005 study of the pilot program on which the Denver incentive-compensation model was based declared that it “demonstrates why, even with thoughtful pilot leadership and broad support, a strict pay for performance system — where performance is defined as student achievement — is an inappropriate model for education.”