Here's another worthy product of the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, setting forth the issues that the Badger State would have to grapple with if it wanted to institute some form of performance- or merit-based compensation system for its public school teachers. This analysis focuses specifically on school-wide performance pay systems, i.e. those tied to gains made by an entire school (with rewards meted out to the whole staff of that school) rather than the children in individual classrooms and their individual teachers. (Wisconsin's current testing system wouldn't lend itself to that kind of system anyway.) Nor does it address differential compensation for teachers in scarce specialties or hard-to-staff schools. But it's a thoughtful, thorough look at the issues associated with school-wide performance pay and worthy of attention by those interested in this reform. Contact the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, Inc. at P.O. Box 487, Thiensville, WI 53092. Phone (262) 241-0514. Fax (262) 241-0774. E-mail [email protected]. Or surf to http://www.wpri.org.
