Teacher's Salary

“Would six-figure salaries attract better teachers?” Without a doubt. In fact, it already has. The Times reported recently that a New York City charter school set to open in the fall of 2009 has received over 70 qualified applicants, some with PhDs. The school, The Equity Project, offers a starting salary of $125,000 with a possible $25,000 yearly performance bonus. Juxtapose it against the median salary for an attorney in New York City – $99,000 – and the sticker price moves from shocking to unbelievable.

My jaw dropped the first time I read this story. Then I smiled and thought to myself, “It’s about time!” It’s about time our society pays teachers what they deserve. It’s about time we do justice to the widely-held conviction that teaching is a noble profession. It’s about time we attract (and retain) the kind of teachers that will help close the achievement gap in the classroom.

In addition to basing the salary on sound economic principles, the school’s selection process is based on sound research. Research has shown consistently that one of the most important factors in determining students’ success in school is the quality of their teachers. Research also has proven that verbal ability is the best predictor of the quality of teachers. According to a publication by the Abell Foundation, “Teachers with higher verbal ability produce greater achievement in students” (see page 8 of the publication). The Equity Project requires applicants to score in the 90^th percentile on the LSAT, GRE, or equivalent test.

Perhaps the most striking features of this school’s novel approach is the principal’s salary, $90,000, which is less than 75% of what the teachers will make.

Money talks. At The Equity Project it is making a statement.

Check out the school’s website.