Measuring What Matters in Guilford County Schools

The district held a forum Monday to discuss teacher compensation

Contact: Haley Miller (336) 370-3200
Created: 9/15/2009 8:18:40 AM

Guilford County Schools (GCS) hosted a teacher quality forum Monday to discuss teacher compensation and answer the question, “Is it time to rethink the way we pay our teachers?” The forum, titled “Measuring What Matters: Paying for Teacher Quality,” was funded by the Center for Educator Compensation Reform through the U.S. Department of Education.

Nationwide, teachers are traditionally paid on a single salary schedule with standardized increases based on years of experience, advanced degrees and certification levels. On average, about 35 percent of school districts’ teacher compensation budgets go toward these standardized increases. Furthermore, traditional schedules do not take into account student achievement, nor do they provide motivation or rewards for elevated levels of school or teacher effectiveness.

During the 2006-07 year, GCS launched the Mission Possible program, which is a comprehensive teacher incentive plan that combines multiple components to keep and attract highly effective teachers and administrators for the ultimate goal of increasing student achievement in schools with critical needs. Teachers in testing grades at these 30 schools are eligible for annual performance incentives. During the forum, leaders discussed performance-based pay for all teachers.

“It is important that we do not lose sight of what matters,” said Dr. Sabrina Laine, chief program officer for educator quality at Learning Point Associates. “America’s central educational challenge is to dramatically improve student performance, and we know teachers drive student performance.” Laine added that based on research, teachers are the greatest school-based influence on student achievement.

“We know that teachers matter,” said Dr. Jim Guthrie, professor of educational leadership at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. “Now, the challenge is determining how we can find which teachers are effective and by what means we can appropriately incent them to perform at their very highest.”

On Monday, school board members, state representatives, school administrators and community members heard from a local practitioner, Andrews High Principal Rodney Wilds, and three nationally known experts in the field of teacher compensation—Laine, Guthrie and Dr. Patrick Schuermann, assistant professor of educational leadership and policy at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.

Dr. Karen Dyer, group director of the Education and Non-Profit Sector for the Center for Creative Leadership, moderated as event guests engaged in significant dialogue about compensation reform in Guilford County, North Carolina and across the nation. For more information, click on the link below.

http://www.gcsnc.com/whatmatters/index.htm

To leave feedback, a comment or a suggestion on this press release, click here.

To watch the lastest news break from GCSTV 2, click here.

More Headlines

Recap of American Education Week Southeast High and Southeast Middle Building Advisory Meeting Southeast Alumnus Named National College Swimmer of the Week Board of Education Meeting - Canceled Governor Bev Perdue Visits Grimsley High Advanced Learning Department Seeks Feedback through Survey Guilford County Schools Celebrates American Education Week Vandalia Students Fight Hunger with Wall of Cans Murphey Teachers Bring Storybook Characters to Life GCS Celebrates American Indian Heritage Month

Back to District News

About Guilford County Schools

Guilford County Schools is the third largest school district in North Carolina serving more than 71,000 students at 120 schools. With approximately 10,000 employees, the district’s mission is to graduate responsible citizens prepared to succeed in higher education or the career of their choice. 

Guilford County Schools is a national leader in providing specialized schools and instructional programs designed to meet the educational needs of a culturally diverse citizenship.  For more information, visit the district’s Web site at www.gcsnc.com.