Published on EdNC, March 12, 2015 by Public Impact Co-Directors Emily Ayscue Hassel and Bryan C. Hassel

North Carolina will never make the educational strides it needs until the best educators have far greater impact, for a lot more pay. Last year, state leaders correctly raised abysmally low base salaries for early-career teachers, with a promise of more.

But let’s be honest: Raising base pay for some is barely playing catch-up. States outpacing North Carolina will likely increase salaries, too.

Most important, base pay bumps for early-career teachers don’t empower excellent teachers, many of whom are veterans, to lead from the classroom — reaching more students and helping peers excel.

It doesn’t have to be this way. The state can encourage districts to offer excellent teachers substantially higher pay for reaching more students and leading peers toward excellence, and reward others for joining teams led by these teachers. Educators can advance their careers while teaching, and more students can experience excellent instruction….

Read the full article here.