A Statement From Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm A. Smith On City Schools Teacher Incentive Pay Agreement

New York State Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm A. Smith (D-St. Albans) today hailed an historic agreement between the Bloomberg administration and the United Federation of Teachers to provide incentive bonuses to teachers in select City schools reporting increased student test scores.

Smith said: "I commend Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein and United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten for their progressive, innovative and forward-looking agreement to improve educational opportunities for our kids."

"Their announcement of a plan to reward educational excellence at high-needs schools is just the kind of outside-the-box thinking we need in order to ensure that every child in New York City, and in our state, has a chance to succeed and compete in the global economy," he added.

Under the agreed-to program, 200 high-needs City schools would be eligible for $20 million in bonuses to be distributed to teachers. The initial sum would be raised from private donations. Next year, the number of eligible schools would double, with funding derived from public sources, according to published reports.