The author's statement to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions on the challenges faced by America's classroom teachers focuses on a few of the factors that lead to teacher frustration and burnout that higher pay, however well-intended, does not change. They include, but are not limited to, poor teacher preparation,…

A salary-schedule compression is the process of reducing the number of salary schedule steps while still giving annual salary increases. Explains what school districts can do during negotiations to compress a schedule without awarding greater increases than originally intended. A sidebar shows a table for relating years of teaching experience to…

This brief issue paper offers an overview of the key issues involved in the pay-for-performance plan, as it applies to compensating teachers. Paying teachers on the basis of performance, as a way to improve the quality of teaching, has gained support in recent years. This paper examines the practice through five leading pay-for-performance models.…

The purpose of this report is to summarize what is known about performance-based pay for teachers in a form useful to state educational policymakers. Section 1 reviews the experience of local education agencies with various forms of merit pay, contending that experience with and evaluations of these merit plans serve as "natural experiments" that…

The American Association of School Administrators believes that professional compensation programs for teachers should incorporate three goals: (1) entry level salaries should be sufficiently high to attract the top one-fourth of those choosing vocations requiring at least a bachelor's degree; (2) the plan must be sufficiently competitive to hold…

Describes a study that compared salaries of one and two year library masters program graduates over a 22 year period. Possible explanations for the results are suggested, and the viability of extended library masters programs is discussed. (CLB)

Presents three letters responding to articles about the restructuring of teachers' salaries in the Soviet school system. Includes comments and proposals on seniority, pay for school principals, and payment according to labor rather than leveling. Includes tables that accompanied two of the letters. (DK)

To attract and keep first-rate presidents, governing boards must be more generous with salaries and benefits. Governing boards have been too modest in looking after college and university presidents. (MLW)

Proposes the use of teacher sabbaticals to improve the quality of teachers. Includes a list of recommendations for implementing a sabbatical policy. (MD)

This article argues that there are global pressures for modernization of the education workforce that produce broadly similar policy responses and pressures on the teaching profession. It suggests, however that these "travelling" policies are mediated by the "embedded" practices and cultures of different systems to produce…

To ensure the quality of school leadership in the future requires the following: (1) improving financial incentives; (2) strengthening administrator training programs; and (3) raising certification requirements. (MLF)

Reports on the 1985 convention of the National Education Association noting changes in the group's politics and its efforts to present a more moderate image. One event during the convention was a march on the South African Embassy protesting apartheid. (MD)

Research shows that preschool produces the strongest effects when teachers are well qualified. Noting that most Head Start preschool teachers do not hold even the minimum teaching degrees required to teach kindergarten, this policy brief looks at the costs of putting highly qualified teachers in Head Start classrooms to improve the effectiveness…

This article argues that, rather than raising the salaries of college presidents, thus widening the salary gap with faculty and possibly creating ill will, governing boards can provide better, long-term supplemental retirement programs that offer maximum reward, security, and control. This strategy can assist in recruitment and retention of…

If future contracts with school district professional personnel can incorporate salary and compensation equity and evaluation systems that are fair, then the issues of accountability and value for the taxpayers will be favorably settled. (MLF)