• Why Join
• Join Now
• About DCFT
• Rapping Papers
• Upcoming Events
• DCFT Contract
• ER&D
• Scholarships
• Educational Loans
• Performance Pay
• Infinite Campus
• Teacher Resources
• Have an Issue?

For Teachers

Performance Pay

Comments and Development Process

Not only is Douglas County's Performance Pay system the most comprehensive in the nation, but it continues to attract the attention of a wide range of local, national and even international audiences. The plan has been heralded as "trail blazing" and "unprecedented" by various Colorado newspapers. Colorado Lieutenant Governor Gail Schoettler described the school district's plan as "precedent-setting reform," in a Denver Business Journal article.

In 1997, Assistant Superintendent Ellen Bartlett and Douglas County Federation of Teachers' President Rob Weil presented to the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, Stanford University, University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin-Madison). This top-notch group of higher educators was among many other organizations that have requested information and presentations since 1994. "What I am seeing is a continued high level of interest in what we are doing," said Bartlett. "Performance pay is a big step in the right direction-our compensation system absolutely supports better instruction in the classroom."

Before the plan could become a reality, it was essential to put together a group that would ensure the efforts would be tailor made to the needs of Douglas County School District. In July, 1993, a task force of 30 individuals-20 teachers and 10 Board of Education appointees, including several community members and business people - put in more than 6,000 hours designing this compensation system. Two neutral facilitators helped manage this intensive, far-reaching effort to arrive at consensus on the details of this new teacher pay plan.

Adopted in the summer of 1994 by the Board of Education and the Douglas County Federation of Teachers (DCFT), the plan is now into its fourth year of implementation. Each year since its inception, committees have continued to refine, evaluate, modify and expand each of the plan's components. Teachers have demonstrated their support for the plan by voting overwhelmingly to continue its implementation each year.

The major philosophical shift of performance pay is clear: no longer will all teachers be awarded longevity raises without regard to performance. The integration of successful private sector approaches has helped this plan gain wide credibility among various school district constituencies.

Have an Issue?