Teacher bonus bill passes House

Teachers should receive a bonus if they are willing to make the extra effort in their classrooms, says Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper.

HB328, a bill aimed at boosting teacher quality, moved through the House with a 65-7 vote Wednesday after some hefty debate among lawmakers. Hughes said he wants to "reward teachers to go above and beyond" their regular duties.

The potential legislation has a $300,000 price tag, and that is where the controversy lies.

Rep. Christine Watkins, D-Price, told the House she simply can't accept this cost during a year of budget cuts. "It's not the time for it," she said.

Other lawmakers questioned whether the bill would tempt school districts to lower base salaries.

The State Board of Education and the State Office of Education support the bill.

Teachers would be judged 40 percent on student learning gains. But Hughes said doesn't necessarily mean test scores. The bill allows school districts to define "student learning gains."

Teaching would be judged 40 percent on their teaching quality through classroom observation. The remaining 20 percent is based on parent, student or community satisfaction regarding the teacher.