State Board OKs Plan to Roll Out Master Teacher Pay Bonuses

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Experienced teachers in Idaho looking for a bonus will have to show their work just like their students under a new plan recently adopted by the Idaho State Board of Education.

Under the new state guidelines, teachers with at least eight years of experience will have to submit a portfolio documenting how they meet the standards required to receive a master teacher premium. These $4,000 bonuses won't go into effect until 2019, but the board wants to give enough time to teachers and schools district for preparation.

Mark Jones, a Boise principal who helped draft the new plan, says an independent committee will review the portfolios to determine if they meet the criteria for a bonus. Master teacher premiums are part a five-year pay plan designed to attract and retain teachers.