Corbett, Education Secretary consider merit-based teacher pay

Pennsylvania’s Acting Education Secretary Ronald Tomalis says teacher salaries shouldn’t be based only on seniority. Tomalis and Gov. Tom Corbett are considering merit-based pay and a new school grading system.

The new system would grade schools much like it does students: on an A-F scale. Factors of the grading system would include student performance, dropout rates and how much districts spend per pupil, the Associated Press reports.

The system would ideally make it easier for parents to see how their children’s schools measure up. But the plan for teacher salaries will be far more difficult to implement, considering the varying opinions on how to measure a teacher’s success.

Tomalis said he plans to work with districts to come up with blue prints to help determine how the merit-based pay system would work.