This book asks whether higher salaries have improved the quality of newly recruited teachers. It reviews data on the characteristics of beginning teachers and shows how important features of the labor market for teachers systematically undermine efforts to improve teacher quality. The text also offers a comparison of personnel policies and…

Presents two views on merit pay. One suggests that the single salary schedule does not suit today's reform environment, explaining how to align teacher compensation with current educational policy. The other notes that the single salary schedule does not let public school managers adjust teachers' pay to reflect performance and market realities,…