NEWARK — A tentative contract has been reached for teachers in the Newark Public School system, allowing for merit pay bonuses that will be funded mainly through a $100 million grant from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, a union official said.
The contract allows for up to $12,500 in bonuses tied to performance evaluations, said Newark Teachers Union President Joseph Del Grosso, making it the first in the state to tie the pay of public school teachers partly to how well their students perform.
The merit pay will be funded mostly by “the Facebook money,” the $100 million Zuckerberg pledged to the Newark schools in 2010, Del Grosso said. The five-year grant comes from stock options and is distributed by a foundation. Officials with knowledge of the gift told The Associated Press earlier this year the company’s public offering of the stock would not affect the donation.
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