Teacher Compensation Policy
Shortage-subject areas: Missouri does not support differential pay by which a teacher can earn additional compensation by teaching certain subjects.
High-need schools: Missouri offers four-year scholarships covering one hundred percent of a student's tuition and fees, provided the student commits to pursuing a teacher education program in a four-year college or university and "Signs an agreement with the department of elementary and secondary education in which the recipient agrees to teach in a Missouri public school, the population of which includes a higher-than-average 'at-risk student population.'"
Support
differential pay initiatives for effective teachers in both shortage-subject
areas and high-need schools.
Missouri should encourage districts to link compensation to
district needs. Such policies can help districts achieve a more equitable
distribution of teachers.
Missouri recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis, however this analysis was updated subsequent to the state's review. The state added that the fund that was referenced is still a point of discussion with the State Board of Education, Governor's Office, and other important stakeholders. "As you might imagine, the challenges caused by COVID-19 have slowed down progress on this."
8B: High-Need Schools and Subjects
States should help address chronic shortages and needs. States should ensure that state-level policies (such as a uniform salary schedule) do not interfere with districts' flexibility in compensating teachers in ways that best meet their individual needs and resources. However, when it comes to addressing chronic shortages, states should do more than simply get out of the way. They should provide direct support for differential pay for effective teaching in shortage subject areas and high-need schools.[1] Attracting effective and qualified teachers to high-need schools or filling vacancies in hard-to-staff subjects are problems that are frequently beyond a district's ability to solve. States that provide direct support for differential pay in these areas are taking an important step in promoting the equitable distribution of quality teachers.[2] Short of providing direct support, states can also use policy levers to indicate to districts that differential pay is not only permissible but necessary.