The purpose of this study was to determine educator perspective of merit-based pay to determine if merit-based pay is an effective option for closing the teacher pay gap while motivating teachers to enter and remain in the field of education. The study was conducted by administering questionnaires to 20 participants. The study found that educators had an overall negative perspective of merit-based pay, and many believed merit-based pay was tied to standardized test scores. Participants were given more information about merit-based pay, describing the various types of merit pay schemes and forms of payment. Educators were asked to provide input on ways to make merit-based pay more favorable. The results indicated that educators were willing to offer feedback, and merit-based pay may be a viable option if educator input were solicited and adhered to. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]