Gov. Nathan Deal's education reform commission released its recommendations on Tuesday, giving lawmakers a blueprint for how Deal intends to overhaul school policy.
The governor said he will spend the coming days reviewing the recommendations, which included few surprises. The panel endorsed his plan for a rewrite of the decades-old funding formula, recommended a permanent increase of more than $250 million in the K-12 budget and called for a study of the teacher pension system's "long-term vitality."
It also flirted with the idea of merit pay for teachers - a controversial notion Deal has embraced - under the heading of "strategic compensation models." Look for the governor to push for more budget flexibility for local school systems to experiment with merit-based pay initiatives for educators.
“We’re not going to go to a fully merit-based pay system, but I do think there is a portion of the teachers’ pay that should go to how good a teacher they are,” Deal said earlier this month. “Now, getting the education community to support that is sometimes difficult.”
1. Provide the opportunity for teacher involvement in the creation of strategic compensation models at the district levels;
2. Allow currently employed teachers to opt in to the new compensation systems OR remain on the current state salary schedule.
3. Refrain from using degree level as a significant determinant of compensation increases. Instead, consider reimbursing teachers for the costs of pursuing advanced degrees;
4. Provide additional pay and/or signing bonuses for high needs subjects and hard-to-staff schools;
5. Provide additional pay for accepting additional responsibilities;
6. Provide additional compensation for teachers who complete the requirements for Teacher Leader Certification;
7. Provide opportunities for teachers to earn higher salaries earlier in their career.
This approach will provide Georgia school districts with the resources necessary to design a strategic compensation model that is tailored to their unique needs.
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