Newark Public Schools Recognizes High Performing Teachers

District rewards Highly Effective teachers from 2015-2016 school year

[Newark, NJ - September 2, 2016] - Newark Public Schools (NPS) announced that the district rewarded $1.7 million in bonuses last week, ranging from between $5,000 and $12,500, to 283 of the district’s Highly Effective teachers from the 2015-2016 school year.

“At Newark Public Schools, we are committed to recognizing the hard work and dedication of our teachers,” said Christopher D. Cerf, Superintendent of NPS. “Our teachers go above and beyond every day to make sure our young people receive an excellent education. I am thrilled to be able to give our educators a small token of our appreciation for all that they do to for the children of Newark.”

NPS recently completed teacher evaluations which revealed that 283 teachers across the district qualified for Highly Effective bonuses. The amount of the bonus is dependent upon which school and subject the educator teaches:

  • 211 teachers were rated Highly Effective and received a $5,000 bonus
  • 36 teachers were rated Highly Effective and received a $10,000 bonus for working in the lowest-performing schools
  • 33 teachers were rated Highly Effective and received $7,500 for working in a “hard-to-staff” subject area such as bilingual, math or science
  • 3 teachers were rated Highly Effective and received $12,500 for working in the lowest-performing school and a hard-to-staff subject area

In addition to the teachers receiving bonuses, 52 teachers received “Performance Improvement” stipends in recognition of their hard work in the last year. Almost $50,000 in stipends went out to these teachers who advanced from a “Partially Effective” rating in the 2014-2015 school year (and therefore who did not earn a raise) to an “Effective” or “Highly Effective” rating in the 2015-2016 school year.

In 2012, NPS became the first school district in the state to provide financial incentives to teachers in recognition of outstanding classroom performance. This marks the fourth consecutive year that the district will be rewarding educators with bonuses. NPS has made developing and retaining great teachers a top priority. As a result, the district’s efforts to attract and retain its highest performers have been successful.

Click here for a list of FAQs regarding Highly Effective bonuses and Performance Improvement Stipends.