What does it mean that districts have full authority over teacher pay?
Many states have minimum teacher salary schedules, which compensates educators solely on the basis of their degrees and years of experience. This limits local autonomy and prevents schools and districts from spending money in potentially more effective ways. Relying on data from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), a Washington-based research and policy organization, we graded the states on whether they gave districts the power to decide what teachers should be paid.
