How much are good teachers worth and what is the best way to reward them? Will paying teachers based on student performance increase teacher performance? As student test scores continue to decline, teachers are increasingly held accountable for their students' performance. This concern has led to increased interest in and implementation of a performance-based compensation system for public school teachers. Many believe that if performance pay works in corporations and private businesses, it should work for schools too. Paying teachers based on student performance rather than seniority is becoming increasingly popular, as politicians, school officials and parents desperately fight to improve public schools. Traditionally, a public school teacher's salary was based on classroom experience and education level. A teacher's highest academic degree and the number of years spent teaching together determine the teacher's salary. Over 96% of public school districts pay teachers under a single salary schedule of this type (Hudson). But today many are calling on schools to tie teacher pay directly to student performance. Government officials have allocated billions of dollars to fund and determine the effectiveness of performance-based pay systems. In 2006, Congress created the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF), an initiative that awards grants to districts and states that implement performance-based pay (Turner) programs. The Obama administration recently created the $4.3 billion Race to the Top fund that encourages states to implement performance-based pay systems and other changes (Rosales). Lawmakers and elected officials respond... halfway through the document... about Lewis and Michael Podgursky. “The Pros and Cons of Performance-Based Compensation.” WebMissouri. Milken Family Foundation, nd Web. March 25, 2011. .Townsend, Trina. Pulaski Community School District Board Member. Personal interview. March 29, 2011.Troen, Vivian and Katherine Boles. “How 'merit pay' stifles teaching - The Boston Globe.” Boston.com - Boston, MA news, breaking news, sports, videos. Np, nd Web. April 16, 2011. Turner, Dorie. “States push to pay teachers based on performance - USATODAY.com.” News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, US & World - USATODAY.com. Np, 8 April 2010. Web. 26 March. 2011. .