A groundbreaking Republican effort to reward the best and brightest teachers throughout the state won approval in the Colorado Senate today--after gaining the support of Colorado's Democrat governor and onetime Democrat opponents in the legislature.

Assistant Senate GOP leader Nancy Spence's Senate Bill 65--also sponsored by Democrat Sen. Sue Windels--would set up a $2 million fund to help jump-start efforts by school districts to cultivate and retain teachers based on their performance.

"Recruiting and keeping our most talented and dedicated classroom teachers has to be one of our highest priorities if we want to prepare our children for the 21st century," Spence, of Centennial, said after the vote. "This is a great investment not only in our teachers but also in our children."

The Spence plan was announced last fall as part of the Republican legislative agenda for 2008. The administration of Gov. Bill Ritter, himself a supporter of teacher performance pay, subsequently embraced Spence's effort and offered to collaborate on her bill and help find majority Democrat co-sponsors--some of whom had opposed and killed a performance-incentive bill Spence carried last year.