A conservative-leaning think tank issued a report this past week that proposes a Wisconsin teacher compensation system designed to give principals who oversee high-performing schools additional resources to reward educators in the building. The study from the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute (WPRI) — “A Modern Teacher Compensation System for Wisconsin” — is an interesting read, a timely topic and, of course, controversial. In fact, a UW-Madison researcher notes a similar system has already been tried in New York City and failed to produce positive results.
Adam Gamoran, a UW-Madison professor of sociology and educational policy studies, says that while research clearly shows some teachers are much more effective than others, what’s not so clear is which attributes these top educators share and whether or not it’s even possible to lead them to teaching more effectively with incentives. UW-Madison’s Allan Odden, a professor of educational leadership and policy analysis, is glad WPRI took the time to publish its report because he agrees the current structure is outdated.