Interviews: Educators Speak Out on Pay for Performance:
CAP Interviews Teachers and School Leaders Implementing Compensation Reform
"Researchers, policymakers, and the general public agree that skilled teachers are valuable, but there is also a growing understanding that states and districts do not have adequate systems for attracting, developing, and retaining effective teachers. Improving these human capital systems would yield long-term dividends for both teachers and students."
The Teacher Incentive Fund, or TIF, is one of the few federal investments that can incentivize significant changes in human capital systems in participating states and districts. TIF supports performance-based teacher and principal compensation systems in high-needs schools. It also supports providing additional compensation for teachers who take on increased roles and responsibilities or teach in subject shortage areas, such as mathematics, science, and special education. Many of the TIF programs also upgrade their evaluation systems and professional development programs to help teachers become more effective. This is federal funding that goes directly to support effective teachers and those taking on challenging assignments.
The Obama administration and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan understand the importance of smart, forward-looking investments in education. That’s why the administration has proposed a dramatic increase in funding for the Teacher Incentive Fund from $97 million this year to $487.3 million in fiscal year 2010. And it provided additional support for the program with $200 million in funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The House has approved $446 million in funding for the program (H.R. 3293), and policymakers should support this funding level as they complete work on the final 2010 Labor-Health and Human Services appropriations bill.
CAP Interviews Teachers and School Leaders Implementing Compensation Reform
"Researchers, policymakers, and the general public agree that skilled teachers are valuable, but there is also a growing understanding that states and districts do not have adequate systems for attracting, developing, and retaining effective teachers. Improving these human capital systems would yield long-term dividends for both teachers and students."
The Teacher Incentive Fund, or TIF, is one of the few federal investments that can incentivize significant changes in human capital systems in participating states and districts. TIF supports performance-based teacher and principal compensation systems in high-needs schools. It also supports providing additional compensation for teachers who take on increased roles and responsibilities or teach in subject shortage areas, such as mathematics, science, and special education. Many of the TIF programs also upgrade their evaluation systems and professional development programs to help teachers become more effective. This is federal funding that goes directly to support effective teachers and those taking on challenging assignments.
The Obama administration and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan understand the importance of smart, forward-looking investments in education. That’s why the administration has proposed a dramatic increase in funding for the Teacher Incentive Fund from $97 million this year to $487.3 million in fiscal year 2010. And it provided additional support for the program with $200 million in funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The House has approved $446 million in funding for the program (H.R. 3293), and policymakers should support this funding level as they complete work on the final 2010 Labor-Health and Human Services appropriations bill.
