MINNEAPOLIS, June 18 (UPI) -- Merit pay, long unloved by teacher unions, is gaining acceptance as U.S. school districts try out compensation plans based partly on classroom performance.
In Minnesota, for example, the state's largest school district is working with Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty on a plan in which some teachers in certain schools work with mentors to improve instructional skills and earn bonuses for raising student achievement, The New York Times reported Monday.
Minnesota's $86 million initiative has broadened to other school districts in the state. Pawlenty said union leaders' help in developing and selling the plan is one reason for its success.
"As a Republican governor, I could say, 'Thou shalt do this,' and the unions would say, 'Thou shalt go jump in the lake,'" Pawlenty said. "But here they partnered with us."
Other similar-but-smaller initiatives are under way nationwide, and union locals are cooperating with some of them, said Allan Odden, a University of Wisconsin professor who studies teacher compensation. While not universally accepted, "it's developing momentum," he said.
Money from federal and private grants is available to help fund such initiatives, which have met opposition in some states.
