Nicholas Kristof’s insightful New York Times column yesterday focused on the DC Public Schools and the effort by education reformers—specifically Chancellor Michelle Rhee—to improve the public education system. Chancellor Rhee has demonstrated her commitment to try new approaches to ensure that urban school children are provided with a high quality education. Significantly, Kristof reports that progress is being made. "Test results," Kristof wrote, "showed more educational gains last year than in the previous four years put together." One of the most contentious issues is Ms. Rhee’s proposal to offer teachers a two-tiered salary system. The issue is attracting national attention.

Research indicates that teacher quality has the biggest impact on student achievement in all school-related factors. More, studies show that effective teachers do the most to help students learn, while the negative impact of inexperienced and out-of-subject teachers on student performance is also well documented. The United States must increase starting pay for teachers—and avoid lock-step salary increases. Providing career advancement opportunities and financial rewards are proven methods of motivating employees in every profession, and the Chamber is convinced that the same is true in teaching.

The Chamber encourages both states and school districts to reform pay and performance structures. This reform may include improving starting salaries; rewarding teachers whose performance contributes to substantial growth in student achievement; attracting and retaining effective instructors in subjects with teacher shortages, most notably math and science; drawing effective educators to high-need schools; and fairly and efficiently removing ineffective educators. We hope that Chancellor Rhee will continue to push for education reforms that advance student achievement.