Retaining Effective Teachers Policy
Missouri neither supports differential pay by which a teacher can earn additional compensation by teaching certain subjects nor offers incentives to teach in high-needs schools. However, the state has no regulatory language that would directly block districts from providing differential pay.
Teachers who are National Board Certified are eligible to receive either salary increases or annual stipends, with specific benefits determined by the district. However, this differential pay is not tied to high-needs schools or subject-area shortages.
Support differential pay initiatives for effective teachers in both subject shortage areas and high-needs schools.
Missouri should encourage districts to link compensation to district needs. Such policies can help districts achieve a more equitable distribution of teachers.
Consider tying National Board supplements to teaching in high-needs schools.
This differential pay could be an incentive to attract some of the state's most effective teachers to its low-performing schools.
Missouri recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.