Merit pay for teachers without a study? Not on the State Board of Education's watch.

The clock ran down without the 2008 Legislature passing a bill creating a task force to examine performance pay for teachers — a big deal once lawmakers voted to send $20 million to school districts for merit pay bonuses.

So the state board jumped at the opportunity Friday to form its own study group.

"It seems appropriate ... as we have general control and supervision over education, that we create a differentiated compensation development team," board member Deborah Roberts said.

Board leaders plan to meet March 17 to flesh out details. But the idea so far is to include 20 people, including teachers, legislators, state school board members, charter school officials, superintendents, the Governor's Office and a principal. Some board members also want to include business representatives.

The team would complete its work by Jan. 15, 2009, after which the board could create a rule for differential compensation, if lawmakers send more money their way, Roberts said.

The move forwards the state's effort to address a teacher shortage.

Legislators at one time in the recently completed session were poised to pass a bill setting up a merit-pay task force, and several education leaders complained they were putting the cart before the horse.

The bill wasn't too big a deal, until GOP leaders and Gov. Jon Huntsman hammered out a plan to give schools an extra $25 million in one-time money, 80 percent of which was targeted for performance pay for teachers.

But those pushing the plan countered that one-time merit money was a great way to inform the task force. School districts have to write grant proposals for the money and report to lawmakers on what they did, helping lawmakers see what might work best on a statewide level.

But now there's no task force. Just performance pay, and school districts having to scramble to come up with plans in how to dole it out in just months — a task some education leaders have said took Denver public schools years.

Hence, the state board's move.

"Since there are no task forces, the board believes it has both the obligation and the opportunity to lead here," Deputy State Superintendent Larry Shumway said.

---

E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com