Newark district and union officials said that under the tentative four-year agreement, teachers must still be deemed effective to climb up the salary ladder and those deemed highly effective would still get a bonus of $5,000.
Five years ago, those provisions marked a departure from the usual system of automatic annual raises for experience and pay increases for advanced degrees. At the time both Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, and Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, hailed the contract as an example of how they could work with political adversaries.
The bonuses were initially paid for by the foundation started by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. For the first time, district Superintendent Chris Cerf said, the bonuses would come from district funds, showing this model is sustainable.
“We think this is a good deal for the district, teachers and especially for the students,” Mr. Cerf said.
Newark Teachers Union officials said about 200 teachers a year got a bonus. According to district data, in recent years 15% to 18% got ratings less than effective.
Unions often argue that pay-for-performance can undermine the collaboration that teachers depend on, but supporters say it adds incentives and helps recruit quality staff.
John Abeigon, president of the Newark Teachers Union, backed the deal but said he would rather have the district spend more on school resources and professional development, rather than bonuses.
“Those members who receive it are fine, of course they don’t complain about receiving it,” he said. “We still believe all people across the board should be given the same resources, and the same circumstances under which to teach, so they can all be highly effective.”