A great deal hinges on the quality of people who lead America’s schools. It goes almost without saying that school reforms and improvements depend largely on strong principal leadership together with effective teachers. Yet while much emphasis has been placed on teachers, we know little about how to attract and retain high quality principals, especially for schools serving large numbers of low-income students. One strategy is to reform how principals are compensated. This seems particularly important when teacher pay reforms are also underway.
Prince George’s County, MD has a new federal grant to provide incentives to teachers and principals in low-performing schools. New York City offers a $25,000 raise to principals who teach for three years or more in a high-needs school and a $25,000 bonus based on student achievement. Yet we know little about whether these initiatives or others are likely to be effective. Why? While we know that principal leadership is critical, research tells us little about how to structure principal compensation effectively.
Please join us for a discussion and Q&A session on a new paper from the Center for American Progress by Dr. Dan Goldhaber and on principal pay initiatives in Chattanooga, TN and Prince George’s County, MD. Panelists will discuss the research on principal compensation, and their perspectives on how principal pay initiatives should be structured to attract high quality candidates to high poverty schools.
Featured Panelists:
Dr. John E. Deasy, Superintendent, Prince George’s County Public Schools
Natalie Elder, Principal, Hardy Elementary School
Dr. Dan Goldhaber, Professor of Public Affairs, University of Washington
Moderated by:
Cynthia G. Brown, Director of Education Policy, Center for American Progress