New Bonus System Introduced for Moscow Teachers

Moscow has implemented a new system for teacher bonuses, where incentive payments will now be directly linked to the outcomes of independent assessments, as well as the Unified State Exam (EGE) and the Main State Exam (OGE). This new framework is designed to complement existing bonus practices rather than replace them. However, its introduction has prompted numerous questions from educators regarding the specifics of how, when, and to whom these new performance-based bonuses will be calculated.

The Moscow Department of Education and Science announced that teachers` incentive payments will be directly tied to student results in independent diagnostics and state exams. While all previously established additional payments will remain, teachers have generally responded to this new approach with caution. Concerns and contentious points regarding this decision have emerged.

The practical implementation of this new system remains largely unclear. On one hand, it has been stated that student performance in diagnostics, OGE, and EGE will influence bonus amounts. On the other hand, schools apparently retain the autonomy to distribute these payments independently. Teachers have been assured that their salaries will not decrease, provided their teaching workload remains constant.

There`s a disparity in funding among Moscow schools, with some receiving less money than others. For the majority of schools in the capital, funding primarily depends on the number of students. However, there are nuances, as noted by Vsevolod Lukhovitsky, a teacher of Russian language and law and a board member of the interregional education workers` union “Uchitel”:

Vsevolod Lukhovitsky
Teacher of Russian Language and Law, Member of the “Uchitel” Interregional Trade Union of Education Workers

Incentive payments are part of the overall salary fund that schools receive through per-capita funding. Therefore, it`s misleading to suggest that teachers in `good` schools will earn significantly more, while those in `bad` schools will earn little. Every school receives funding based on student numbers, and a specific portion of the teachers` salary fund must be allocated to incentive payments. I`m not referring to Moscow`s rating system, where schools deemed `better` by the department receive additional grants; I`m discussing the general mass of schools.

At first glance, the initiative appears objective. However, it has raised questions among teachers. It is unclear how this system will apply to elementary school teachers or those who taught specific subjects in middle school, for example. There is concern that many educators might be excluded from these new bonuses.

Moreover, many students seek private tutoring before exams like the EGE, yet the bonus for high scores will ultimately go to the school teacher. However, a student`s success isn`t solely defined by achieving top grades. An improvement from a failing grade (`two`) to a passing one (`three`) also represents a significant achievement for the teacher that should be recognized and incentivized, according to Efim Rachevsky, director of Education Center No. 548 “Tsaritsyno” in Moscow and a People`s Teacher of Russia:

Efim Rachevsky
Director of Education Center No. 548 “Tsaritsyno”, People`s Teacher of Russia

This doesn`t imply that if there are more straight-A students, the teacher will receive more money; that`s not the case. Each school formulates its own policies for incentivizing teacher performance. You could reward a teacher whose student made 28 mistakes in a dictation and received a `two,` but now makes 23 mistakes, still a `two.` The school administration is aware that this child is showing positive progress, so it`s at the discretion of the school staff and administration. It`s not strictly necessary for bonus recipients to be those whose students achieve 100 points on the EGE. This initiative allows for a differentiated approach to how and who works. In my experience, there were instances where a teacher, adorned with various accolades, even the title of `Honored Teacher,` worked so ineffectively that I struggled for a year until she was dismissed. Conversely, sometimes a clearly talented novice teacher, without any titles or awards, sees their students make excellent positive progress.

Authorities believe that bonuses linked to student results in diagnostics and exams will enhance subject teachers` accountability for these outcomes, encouraging them to seek and implement effective pedagogical practices. This new policy was a topic of discussion among school principals and experts at the Moscow Pedagogical University. Educators hope that school management will distribute these payments fairly, based on objective considerations.