Does Denvers Teacher Pay Plan Go Far Enough?
First in a two-part series on the proposed teacher salary plan for Denver Public Schools Education reform advocates nationwide will be keeping an eye on the Denver Public Schools over the next few years as the system implements a new salary structure for teachers that breaks from the single-salary plan that has been the standard for decades in most of America’s public schools. The new plan is an important step toward a system that recognizes the true worth of each teacher — but does it go far enough? There’s no question that most Americans support higher pay for teachers. According to the 2003 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools*, 59% of Americans think that teachers’ salaries in their communities are too low. Sixty-five percent feel that higher salaries should be provided to teachers in schools needing improvement. Moreover, Americans identify “lack of financial support/funding/money” as the biggest problem facing their community schools. D
