This examination of data from the 1987-88 Schools and Staffing Survey
challenges the common supposition that most teachers oppose merit pay.
The authors find that teachers in districts that use merit pay do not
seem demoralized by the system or hostile toward it, and teachers of
disadvantaged and low-achieving students are generally supportive of m
erit pay. Private school teachers favor merit pay more than do public
school teachers, a difference that may reflect differences in manageme
nt in the two sectors and a more entrepreneurial spirit among staff in
private schools.