Virginia Governor Introduces Teacher Performance Pay Initiative

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has invited 57 school divisions that may have difficulty attracting, retaining and rewarding fully licensed teachers to participate in a state Performance-Pay Incentives initiative.

Alexandria's Cora Kelly Magnet Elementary, Francis Hammond 2 Middle, Francis Hammond 3 Middle, George Mason Elementary, James K. Polk Elementary, Mount Vernon Elementary, T.C. Williams High and William Ramsay Elementary are among the institutions that are part of the $3 million state funding initiative.

“The evaluation guidelines and performance standards awaiting final approval by the Board of Education on April 28 will ensure that performance-pay decisions are fair for all teachers and based on objective criteria," Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia Wright said in a statement. “Administrators in the participating divisions will be trained in the implementation of the board’s performance standards and evaluation criteria.”

In applying for funding, school divisions may designate all teachers within a hard-to-staff school as eligible for performance pay or limit eligibility to specific groups of teachers, such as teachers in reading and mathematics. The maximum amount a teacher may receive is $5,000.