Newark teachers union approves landmark contract offering merit pay bonuses

By Jeanette Rundquist/The Star-Ledger

NEWARK — In a landmark vote, the Newark Teachers Union on Wednesday ratified the state’s first teacher contract to provide bonus pay based on classroom performance.

The three-year deal, which awards merit pay to teachers who earn a rating of “highly effective,” was approved, 1,767-1,088, with almost 62 percent of the membership supporting it. More than 2,800 of the nearly 4,700 union members turned out at union headquarters on Broad Street in Newark throughout the day to cast ballots.

The contract, which sparked strong opinions on both sides, will be the first in the state and one of the first in the nation to base teacher pay on classroom performance, including student progress.

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