The Education Gadfly Show #952: Unpacking the impact of Wisconsin's Act 10 on teacher pay, with Barbara Biasi
Jan 15, 2025
Barbara Biasi, an assistant professor at the Yale School of Management, dives deep into Wisconsin's Act 10 and its dramatic impact on teacher pay and labor dynamics. The discussion reveals how Act 10 reshaped collective bargaining for teachers, leading to significant drops in union membership. Biasi also addresses the flexible pay structures that emerged, highlighting issues of gender pay equity in teacher salaries. Additionally, the episode touches on the underrepresentation of racial and socioeconomic groups in gifted education, signaling a pressing need for equitable educational access.
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Act 10 Overview
- Wisconsin's Act 10 significantly altered teacher union contracts and compensation.
- It aimed to cut public spending by changing collective bargaining rules, impacting teacher pay flexibility.
Flexible Pay and Teacher Quality
- Act 10's flexible pay provisions allowed districts to move away from seniority-based pay.
- This led to a correlation between teacher value-added and pay, despite districts not explicitly using value-added metrics.
District Leader Perspectives
- Barbara Biasi interviewed district leaders about Act 10’s impact.
- Many were aware of the new flexibility but had concerns about implementation and teacher morale.