Salary
$3.2k
Most districts pay novice teachers a premium of >$3,000 per year for a masterâs degree that doesnât make them any more effective.
Trends in teacher contracts
Teacher time
54%
Only about half of large districts permit or require that teachers have collaborative planning time.
Differentiated pay
1 in 3
Only about a third of districts pay teachers more to work in hard-to staff-schools, despite research showing this is an effective staffing strategy.
Exemplary policies
Dallas Independent School District (TX)
General salary
Dallas Independent School District (TX)
Dallas ties pay directly to teacher performanceâallowing top teachers to earn over $25,000 more annuallyâprioritizing effectiveness.
Hawaii Department of Education
Differentiated pay
Hawaii Department of Education
Hawaii offers a $10,000 annual pay supplement for special education teachers, achieving a 35% reduction in vacancies among special education positions.
District of Columbia Public Schools
Differentiated pay
District of Columbia Public Schools
DCPS enables high-performing teachers in hard-to-staff subjects or high-need schools to reach $75,000 in just three years, linking pay to performance.
Wake County Public School System (NC)
Teacher time
Wake County Public School System (NC)
Wake County provides teachers with one hour of dedicated planning time each day, as well as weekly collaboration time.
Portland Public Schools (OR)
Evaluation
Portland Public Schools (OR)
Portland allows teachers to submit videos in place of in-person observations, improving flexibility and saving time while maintaining rigorous review standards.
Wake County School District (NC)
Leave
Wake County School District (NC)
Wake County offers eight weeks of paid parental leave for new parents, as well as four weeks of paid parental leave for adoptive or foster parents.
