Tennessee school districts can pay teachers more to take on difficult assignments, but a new national study raises questions about whether states are doing enough to keep those classrooms staffed.¶
The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) found that just 13 states offer or encourage extra pay for teachers working in hard-to-staff schools, down from 28 in 2022. Another 17 states offer incentives for teachers in difficult-to-fill subjects like math, science, and special education, down from 22 four years ago. Its new report, released in late September, argues that states could use education funding better by directing more money toward positions where schools struggle to recruit and retain educators.¶
Tennessee’s Teacher Pay Policy
Tennessee has required school districts to develop differentiated-pay plans for years. Under state guidelines, districts must base additional compensation on at least one factor: teaching in a high-needs school or subject, taking on extra responsibilities, or job performance. That gives districts options, but it does not require every district to offer a bonus specifically for working in a school that struggles to attract teachers. The state publishes districts' plans, although those documents do not, by themselves, show whether a particular incentive improves retention.¶
The need to keep teachers is especially clear in Memphis. Nearly one in five Memphis-Shelby County Schools educators resigned in 2024, with some of the district's lowest-performing schools losing teachers at much higher rates. The district has offered $1,000 bonuses to teachers who remain at the same school from one year to the next, along with a 2 percent salary increase. But money is not the only issue. Educators have also pointed to school leadership, working conditions, and limited classroom resources as reasons for leaving. Extra pay may help recruit and retain teachers, but it cannot address every problem inside a school.¶
Options for Keeping Teachers
The national study says that offering teachers in high-need positions at least 7.5 percent more in salary, or roughly $5,000 a year, is more likely to change their minds. It also recommends rewarding effective teachers rather than relying on raises based on experience or credentials. Tennessee lawmakers approved a law in 2025 allowing districts to establish merit-based teacher pay. However, the policy is optional, and rewarding strong classroom performance differs from offering extra pay for a hard-to-fill position. Districts can choose how to use those options within their budgets.¶
Public charter schools have some flexibility as well, as Tennessee's Comptroller's Office says that charter schools are public schools with more control over personnel and salary policies while still being held accountable for academic results.¶
Some have also looked beyond pay raises to keep their teachers. In Nashville, a childcare program serving several public charter schools offers priority enrollment and discounted care to participating teachers, with its director estimating each teacher saves $3,500 to $4,500 per year. While it is not a substitute for competitive salaries, it shows that schools can approach retention in different ways.¶
For Tennessee, the question is not whether districts have permission to pay teachers differently. They already do. It is whether the plans being used are getting experienced educators into schools that need them and giving those teachers enough reason to stay. The national findings do not measure the results of every Tennessee district's pay plan, but they add to a larger conversation about how schools can spend limited resources while keeping qualified teachers in front of students.¶
