Many teachers already receive additional pay

Although the debate about performance-based pay for teachers is a long way from being settled, many Richmond-area teachers already receive thousands of dollars in additional pay for education degrees and certifications through state grants.

Some call it performance-based pay or merit pay; others call it incentive pay.

The Henrico County school system paid about $260,000 in extra pay for teachers in the 2008-09 school year through different state-administered programs.

Chris Corallo, director of staff development, said six teachers are participating in the Virginia Middle School Teacher Corps, which provides the structure and incentives for school systems to hire experienced mathematics teachers for struggling middle schools. Teachers apply for the program.

For every hired teacher accepted for Teacher Corps, school systems receive $10,000 for an annual salary differential for that teacher. If a teacher who is already working at a school system is accepted into Teacher Corps, that teacher gets a $5,000 annual salary differential. The extra money is paid in two parts, Corallo said. The first part is paid in January, he said.

"If we determine that they've done what [they] need to do, we give them the second half [in May]," he said.

The school systems in Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico counties also participate in the National Board Certified Teachers Program, a voluntary program that allows teachers to demonstrate competence in teaching. The state administers and funds the program.

Teachers receive a one-time $5,000 bonus when they become certified and $2,500 annually for the life of the certificate, which is nine years.

In Henrico, 17 teachers in this program received a two-step increase last school year -- approximately $34,000 -- plus a $5,000 bonus each. Fifty-eight existing National Board certified teachers received $2,500 in additional pay.

In Richmond, there are 24 national board-certified teachers. Three of those received their certification last school year. Chesterfield's schools have 78 national board-certified teachers.

Teachers in Henrico also receive an average $1,700 salary increase for earning a master's degree. Richmond pays about $1,500 extra to teachers who receive master's and doctorate degrees and $2,000 hiring bonuses within the first two years to teachers in hard-to-staff areas, such as math, science and foreign languages.

Chesterfield teachers who get a master's receive a 15 percent salary increase.

Contact Juan Antonio Lizama at (804) 649-6513 or .