Dive Brief:
- Delaware's new Committee to Advance Educator Compensation and Careers met for the first time Wednesday.
- The lawmaker-created committee aims to create higher starting salaries for new teachers, as well as paying teachers more based on factors like showing effectiveness or leadership in a high-needs school.
- The group is required to submit a proposal by mid-November if it wants Gov. Jack Markell, who attended Wednesday's meeting, to review it and make a recommendation for the coming year's budget.
Dive Insight:
Most would argue teachers deserve better pay, so Delaware taking actionable steps to make this happen is a positive step. The committee includes two representatives from the state's teacher union, which is viewed as way to have teachers' voices heard in the discussion on how and when they are paid. After Vergara v. California, which shot down teacher tenure laws in California, many (including journalist Dana Goldstein) have argued that states should be focusing on retaining good teachers in high-needs schools instead of worrying about getting rid of bad teachers. Delaware's idea of compensating teachers who prove to be effective in these environments could definitely be a good way to get teachers into those schools. But the question then becomes a matter of what determines whether or not a teacher is effective.