Kentucky Weighs Teacher Bonus for Math and Science
Inside the Kentucky Capitol building (Image by Erin Pettigrew)
A bill pending in the Kentucky legislature would pay extra sums to math and science teachers, including bonuses of up to $7,500 a year to those whose students score well on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests.
But some teachers have mixed feelings about the proposal, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
“All teachers deserve that same incentive,” says Toni Gissendanner, who has taught AP/IB Chemistry at Holmes High School in Covington for seven years.
“We are against any type of pay-for-performance raises because there are too many factors that go into a student’s test scores for there to be equity,” said Sharon Cross, President of the Kenton County Education Association, the teachers union for the Kenton County School District.
The initial annual cost of the incentives would be $1.2 million, and would be funded by the state. The law would kick in no later than the 2012-13 school year.
“Many more students would be nurtured and brought through those programs at a level that would allow them to … qualify for college credits,” bill sponsor Sen. Ken Winters, R-Murray, told the Associated Press. He also said he would like to expand his bill to include other AP teachers, but said math and science courses are the top priority for now.
The bill is modeled after AdvanceKentucky, an initiative of the Kentucky Science and Technology Corp. funded with a $13.2 million grant from the National Math and Science Initiative. The purpose is to increase student participation and success in rigorous coursework, such as the AP program. Roughly three years remain on the grant.
Filed under: K-12 Education News
Tags: Education Policy, Math teachers, Public Policy, Science Teachers, Teacher Awards, Teachers
