Newark public school officials said Friday they handed out $1.7 million in bonuses to 283 top teachers, part of a groundbreaking contract for performance pay.
Merit pay began in the city schools as part of a 2012 contract that was funded in part by a $100 million grant from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who said he hoped to make Newark a model for turning around a troubled school system.
The contract’s provision to give financial incentives for strong classroom performance was unusual: Teachers unions often balk at bonuses, saying they cause dissension and competition among colleagues who need to collaborate. Teachers typically get increases for longevity and other accomplishments, such as earning advanced degrees.
In Newark, where teachers deemed effective get raises for longevity and other factors, this year’s bonuses ranged from $5,000 to $12,500. The highest ones went to three teachers who worked in hard-to-staff subject areas in the most struggling schools. Officials in the state-operated district said these bonuses helped with its efforts to retain talent, and this year they were funded from the district’s budget.
It is unclear whether the merit pay plan will continue. The Newark Teachers Union and district are in negotiations over a new contract to replace the one that expired in June 2015. Union president John Abeigon said merit pay remained in the draft language, but in order for it to remain he wanted the district to say where the money would come from. Mr. Abeigon said his priority was getting raises across the board and retroactive increases for the past year.
“Don’t talk poverty to me with one mouth and then tell me with a separate tongue we will have millions to give” on performance bonuses, he said.
A spokesman said the district didn’t discuss contract negotiations, rewarding top teachers is a priority, and the bonuses represent just a small piece of a nearly $1 billion budget.