June 2010 Dear Friends: The national lesson of compensation reform is, at root, a lesson of institutional reform. Pivotal learnings are highlighted in the most recent issue of Phi Delta Kappan. Emphasizing student learning and teacher's contribution to it can be a major lever for change-if the initiative also addresses the district factors that shape the schools. With this in mind, our national experience highlights the six cornerstones of successful compensation reform. Cornerstone 1. Performance-based compensation is a systemic reform. The key is to use the focus on compensation as a lever for broader system changes. Learn more about Cornerstone 1. Cornerstone 2. Compensation reform must be done with teachers, not to them. More than a slogan, this means that compensation involves realigning relationships and addressing new challenges facing district and union leaders. Learn more about Cornerstone 2. Cornerstone 3. Compensation reform must be organizationally sustainable. From the boardroom to the classroom, the entire district must be aligned and upgraded to support performance-based compensation. Learn more about Cornerstone 3. Cornerstone 4. Performance-based compensation must be financially sustainable. There is perhaps no part of compensation reform that is more regularly mishandled than the approaches taken to long-term financial sustainability. Learn more about Cornerstone 4. Cornerstone 5. Performance-based compensation reform must have a broad base of support within the district and the community. Building the constituency that supports compensation reform is a community organizing function. Learn more about Cornerstone 5. Cornerstone 6. Performance-based compensation must benefit students. Naysayers who suggest that there is an compatibility in "benefiting students" and also "benefiting teachers" have consistently been shown to be misguided, their positions rooted more in ideological sound bites than in sound practice. Learn more about Cornerstone 6. These cornerstones provide the framework for successfully implementing a compensation reform that contributes to and rewards effective teaching. If you are interested in assistance to help implement and evaluate performance-based compensation in your district or state, and avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, please call CTAC at (617) 423-1444. Best Regards, William J. Slotnik, Executive Director Community Training and Assistance Center (CTAC) CTAC builds capacity and addresses root causes of poverty at local, state and national levels by providing technical assistance, conducting research and evaluation, and supporting public policy initiatives. In the area of performance-based compensation, CTAC has provided assistance to numerous school districts, states, unions, and foundations, including serving as the technical assistance provider to Denver's landmark Pay for Performance initiative and conducting the comprehensive study of the initiative. In the area of underperforming schools and districts, CTAC has built the capacity of numerous urban districts and states to improve student achievement through data-informed accountability, site and district planning and management, and increased teacher and administrator effectiveness. www.ctacusa.com