Are the staff members monitoring what is occurring in other districts that are also developing performance pay, as in Steamboat Springs?
As news articles regarding teacher performance pay have been published, e.g., CNN, personal inquiries have been made regarding current progress. Steamboat Springs staff have reported that they have put their performance pay plan on hold because they found their curriculum standards needed further development and articulation to enable them to be used in the manner they desired to compensate teachers accordingly. Also, two issues arose from their Board very late in the process. One was the use of student test data in assessing teachers’ performance. The second was the necessity for quotas within the schedule that would limit the quantity of teachers moving on the schedule. Although they had thought these issues were resolved, members of their Board expressed viewpoints late in the process that required further study. Regarding their support staff process, they have found it to be a more effective strategy for evaluating their staff, but needed to streamline to make it less time intensiv
