Burnsville, where all the teachers are above average

Employees of the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage school district have long touted the gifts of its 600 teachers. They're experienced, they care about students, and they strive to improve, they say. In fact, almost every teacher last year got a $2,000 bonus.

Last month the district released the results of its first full year of a merit pay system, part of Gov. Tim Pawlenty's "Q Comp" program, meant to reward quality teaching. Teachers can get up to $2,000 annually for meeting personal, classroom and school goals.

In the last round of evaluations in the 2006-07 year, 603 teachers "exceeded standards," six "met standards" and not a single one fell below standards. Even considering their good reputation, is it really possible that not a single teacher is falling behind?

"We want all our teachers to exceed standards, and we want them all to be good educators," said professional development director Beth Anderson. "The process is transparent so the teachers know what is expected of them. It makes sense that our teachers would be exceeding standards."

Asked how the few teachers who don't meet the highest standard must feel, state Sen. Chris Gerlach, R-Apple Valley, laughed.

"Those must be the ones under indictment or something," he said. A merit-pay system that isn't more selective, he said, is simply a pay increase.

Burnsville employoees disagree vehemently with the sentiment that the numbers are unbelievable. Human resources director Sue Grissom points out that the district expects teachers to be proficient. And the district, she said, has always intended to raise the standards after three years to encourage continuing growth.

Teacher evaluator Tom Troester, who says the program is a great opportunity for professional development, puts it this way: "Would you want to fly in a plane with a pilot that wasn't proficient? Don't you assume that every time you get in a plane that the pilot is proficient?"

A professional pay system

Minnesota was one of the first states in the nation to implement a statewide professional pay system for teachers, and the programs are getting more popular around the country, according to Sandi Jacobs, vice president for policy for the National Council on Teacher Quality, which describes itself as "a nonpartisan research and advocacy group committed to restructuring the teaching profession."

Approximately 40 Minnesota districts participate in Q Comp.

Burnsville started its "Pro Pay" system last school year, although parts of it were in place before Q Comp came along. Full-time teachers are evaluated twice during the school year, meeting with evaluators before and after each evaluation to discuss their teaching.

They're judged, with help of a rubric used nationwide, on planning and preparation, the classroom environment, instruction and professional responsibilities such as growth, interactions with families and advocacy for students.

On each evaluation, if a staff member "meets expectations," the teacher receives $400. An "exceeds expectations" rating merits $800. Teachers receive another $200 if they meet annual classroom goals and another $200 if their school met its goals on statewide standardized tests for the year.

The district paid out $1.4 million, which the district received from the state, in performance incentives last school year, according to business manager Mark Stotts.

Teachers also participate in "professional learning communities," which foster discussions about their craft, and get a chance to observe one another at work. Teachers often feel like they work in a vacuum, surrounded by children all day with no chance to see their colleagues work, and the program helps alleviate that.

Burnsville-Eagan-Savage is a rapidly changing district with ever-increasing diversity. Troester said the most common skill he sees teachers working on is "differentiation," or finding ways to tailor teaching to different groups.

Initial apprehension

While teachers were initially apprehensive and nervous during evaluations -- teachers' unions have been the most vocal opponents of Pawlenty's program -- Troester said they have learned to appreciate them and view them as a chance to have in-depth discussions about their craft.

"I think it's valuable for everyone involved," said Tom Robison, an enrichment and resource teacher at Gideon Pond Elementary, who admits he had initial reservations. "Any time you have the opportunity to sit down and reflect on what you've done, instead of moving onto the next class period, you can learn."

Before agreeing to the program, the teachers' union required that there be enough money for everyone to earn the bonuses; teachers didn't want it to turn into a competition between colleagues.

Jacobs, of the National Council on Teacher Quality, said that while that requirement is fine if everyone meets the targets, research shows a large distribution in teacher effectiveness.

"So if we're setting strong criteria," she said, "it's highly unlikely that everyone is going to meet them."

David Peterson contributed to this report.

Emily Johns • 952-882-9056