DUH!

So, you want some advice on pay?

Pay more and you will retain more teachers. That's what Arkansas found. The problem is whether or not they retained the teachers they wanted to retain AND eliminated the teachers they didn't. Arkansas raised all salaries. They did not raise salaries strategically. When will districts learn that to increase results pay must be increased strategically, and not to everyone regardless of performance or promotion of the educational philosophy.

Another DUH moment was seen in Washington state when high schools forfeited almost $2 million each because they would not violate the state collective bargaining agreement to provide pay enhancements to teachers. It's another case of ignoring strategic pay.

If you will be in New Orleans for the national conference, please stop by my presentation on strategic pay where I'll give some tips and methods of creating your own strategic pay system.

(Note: These examples were found in the May 14, 2008 volume of Education Week, page 5)