Bonus pay trial for top teachers

News bulletin: 2 September 2009

Encouraging and rewarding teaching excellence, two teacher bonus pay models will be piloted next year at up to 75 selected Victorian primary and secondary schools. 

“We know parents want the best results for their children and excellent teaching is a critical factor in lifting student achievement,” Education Minister Bronwyn Pike said. 

Bendigo Senior Secondary College and Kew Primary School are the first two schools to sign up for the trial where a two model system will reward teaching excellence as well as overall school performance.

The Teacher Rewards model is designed to help retain high-quality teachers and encourage greater student results. It will provide an annual bonus to the top 30 per cent of high-performing teachers assessed by their schools.

The School Rewards model focuses on school performance and involves rewards for the 20 per cent of schools that demonstrate to the Department the greatest improvement on a broad-based measure of school performance.

“Investigating the best model for rewarding teaching excellence is just one component of the State Government’s commitment to a broader suite of teacher workforce reforms that will help attract, develop and retain the next generation of high quality teachers.

“We are working together with principals, teachers and other stakeholders to help us develop and refine the best approach to suit Victorian schools,” Ms Pike said.