Principle Recommendation:

Restructure an incentive program to attract and retain exceptional teachers in low-performing schools and districts. This program should be restructured to include grants (for education majors in their junior and senior years of college) and loan reimbursement funding (incentives to teach in the Alliance Districts for four years).

Current Connecticut Statute

Section 10-265o of the Connecticut General Statutes established (but did not fund) an incentive program to encourage high performing teacher candidates to work in the 10 lowest performing districts.

Supporting Research

The Office of Higher Education’s Minority Teacher Incentive and the Weisman Scholarship Programs[i] provides scholarships of $5,000 (a year) for college juniors and seniors; after graduation, educators get up to $2,500 (for each of four years to pay off loans) if they meet their teaching requirements. The Minority Teacher Incentive Program awarded 70 grants in FY 2012-13.[ii] The table below compares the existing statutory program with this more robust proposal:

Sources