Teachers in Washington, D.C., can earn 6-figure salaries as easy as C-level executives under a new proposal that links their take-home pay to performance. "There are a lot of important things we do," D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty tells the news source. "But there is no higher priority than an excellent education for each of our children." The contract provides an "exit strategy" for teachers that have been evaluated as satisfactory or better. If schools dropped them from the ranks, they are can take a $25,000 buyout, early retirement or an extra year to look for a new teaching job with salary. To emphasize performance, the contract includes "mutual consent" hiring, which means principals can hire the teachers they deem competent and that no one can cling to the job based on their years of service, the report says. Demand for teachers remain strong across the country. In fact, some areas suffer from shortage of teachers in bilingual education, mathematics, science and special education, according to Education Department. The department awards up to $4,000 per year for students interested in teaching in underserved areas.  |