When offered raises of up to $20,000 in exchange for giving up some collective bargaining rights, four out of five “highly effective” teachers in D.C. took the cash. More of the top-rated teachers eligible for bonuses took them this year than in 2010, when 40 percent declined the awards to keep some job guarantees.
“People realize this is actually happening, we’re really going to pay them and follow through,” said Jason Kamras, chief of human capital for D.C. Public Schools. “They’ve realized the changes in terms of job security are not really significant, and the economy’s down and times are tight — families may need the money.”
Under an evaluation tool called Impact, teachers are rated from “ineffective” to “highly effective” based mostly on classroom observations and students’ test scores. In 2011, 663 teachers received the top rating, making them eligible for bonuses of $3,000 to $25,000, depending on subject taught and area of the city.
Of those teachers, 290 received “highly effective” ratings for the second consecutive year, and school officials offered them base salary increases of about $10,000 to $20,000.
By cashing these checks, top teachers concede some of the job security granted by their teachers union membership. If the school system eliminates their position, for instance, these teachers could be more vulnerable to termination.
But 80.5 percent of eligible teachers accepted their salary increases this year, and 70 percent accepted their bonuses.
“It’s the type of thing where I feel like if I’m considered highly effective here, then I feel like I’d continue to be wanted in the classroom here,” said Shira Fishman, a math teacher at McKinley Technology High School in Northeast.
Fishman, who accepted both her bonus and her salary increase, was named DCPS’ teacher of the year on Friday. She and hundreds of other highly effective teachers will be honored at a star-studded gala dubbed A Standing Ovation for D.C. Teachers on Monday evening at the Kennedy Center.
“If it ever came to the point that it was no longer the case [that I was rated well], maybe D.C. wouldn’t be the right place for me, or I’m losing steam as a teacher and it makes sense to do something different,” Fishman said.
The uptick in teachers accepting their bonuses has generated some buzz in the donor community, said Cate Swinburn, executive director of the D.C. Public Education Fund, which solicits donations to fund Impact’s bonuses and raises.
“There is excitement and optimism there [about] rewarding and retaining great teachers,” she said.
