Teacher Compensation Policy
Shortage-subject areas: Wisconsin does not support differential pay by which a teacher can earn additional compensation by teaching certain subjects. The state does offer the Minority Teacher Loan. The state grants loans to minority students enrolled in a preparation program in a shortage area who also agree to teach in Milwaukee after completing their programs. For each year that the student meets the requirements, 25% of the loan is forgiven.
High-need schools: Wisconsin teachers can earn additional pay by working in schools classified as
high need. Teachers who are National Board Certified are eligible to receive
$2,000 in the first year of certification and a $2,500 annual supplement for
the remaining nine years of certification. Teachers who are teaching in
schools where at least 60 percent of the students are eligible for free or
reduced-price lunches may receive an additional $2,500 per year.
One of the requirements of the Minority Teacher Loan program is that recipients teach in a shortage area "in a school district in this state in which minority students constitute at least 40 percent of the membership."
Support
differential pay initiatives for effective teachers in shortage-subject areas.
Wisconsin should encourage districts to link compensation to
district needs. Such policies can help districts achieve a more equitable
distribution of teachers.
Wisconsin recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis. The state added that its analyses show that the schools/districts with the greatest inequitable distribution of teachers also have the greatest inequitable distribution of principals. "And the literature, as well as our own evaluations of the Educator Effectiveness work, have shown that teachers stay or leave based on leadership. Moving effective teachers to a building that is not led by an effective leader is not a sustainable strategy. Wisconsin is working with these districts to focus on equitable distribution of principals first."
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.