For Immediate Release

Council Speaker proposes pay incentive for teachers in low-performing middle schools

Feb 12, 2008 6:01 PM

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn delivered her State of the City address on Feb. 12, and her proposals included one for a pilot program to offer bonus pay incentives to recruit and retain highly-qualified, experienced teachers to work in the city’s most troubled low-performing middle schools.

UFT President Randi Weingarten responded with the following statement:

The Speaker’s proposal reflects her understanding that incentives can make a difference in attracting and retaining highly qualified teachers in some of our most challenging schools. With five middle schools recently added to the state’s list of troubled schools, we are pleased that Speaker Quinn is championing schools that are in urgent need of support. We look forward to working with her to develop this initiative.

This incentive –- like the school-based one we recently negotiated –- would be available to all teachers in a middle school who attain or already have the appropriate credentials. That is a great way of building teacher quality and, as a result, helping kids.

But it is difficult to create new incentives when existing programs to help grow capacity, such as the lead teacher program, are being considered for the budget axe.

At a time when the State and City have put forth budget proposals that reduce education spending by approximately $700 million, we take note of the Speaker’s commitment to protect the progress we have made for our city’s school kids.

It sounds like Speaker Quinn has heard the call from the “Keep The Promises” coalition of more than 60 community organizations, advocacy groups and labor unions – and we applaud her for that.