A leading Republican voice for education reform says she welcomes a state panel's endorsement of performance incentives for schoolteachers--a policy initiative she fought for in the last legislative session and will champion again in 2008.

Assistant Senate GOP leader Nancy Spence, the ranking Republican on the Senate Education Committee, will introduce a bill that would help fund efforts by local school districts to reward teachers who excel in the classroom. The bill--similar to one Spence introduced last session that is based on Florida's prominent STAR program--is part of the Republican education agenda for 2008.

Now, the governor's P-20 Education Coordinating Council seems to like the idea, too. The panel released a list of recommendations this week that included a proposal much like Spence's plan, establishing a state fund to help local school districts set up alternative forms of teacher compensation.

"It is great to have them on board," said Spence, of Centennial.

“The many teachers who strive for excellence should be paid more, and this is the best way to start along that path,” said Spence, who also was a vocal education advocate in the House and served before that on the Cherry Creek school district board.

Spence's effort this year ran into Democrat opposition in the Education Committee, where her bill was killed by education-reform foes. Democrat allies in the teacher unions, which push for across-the-board pay hikes regardless of merit, have been among the most adamant foes of performance incentives.

“When I carried this proposal last year, it didn’t get as warm a welcome from the other side of the aisle," she said, "so it’s encouraging to see the P-20 commission—and the governor himself—supporting the concept.”

The measure, which is still being drafted, would allow flexibility for school districts to come up with the kinds of performance incentives that they believe would be most effective in cultivating dedicated teachers and enhancing student performance.  

Spence, who is carrying the measure with Republican Rep. Ken Summers in the House, said she is looking forward to working with members of both parties to advance a measure that she believes rises above partisan bickering to serve the best interests of children.