The School District of Lee County is now offering educators significant financial incentives to work in high-risk schools, teach hard-to-staff subjects and teach courses that have the greatest impact on student achievement. It’s a teacher incentive strategy that Superintendent Denise Carlin says others can replicate.
Exclusive to the 2025-26 school year, teachers can earn up to $9,000 on top of their annual salary, depending on the perceived school risk level and courses taught. Here’s a breakdown of the financial incentive structure:
| Education Risk Rating | School Level Incentive | Critical Subject / Courses | Complementary Subject / Courses | Total Incentive Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Risk Level 4 | $2,500 | $6,500 | $2,500 | $2,500 – $9,000 |
| Risk Level 3 | $2,000 | $4,500 | $1,500 | $2,000 – $6,500 |
| Risk Level 2 | $1,000 | $2,500 | $500 | $1,000 – $3,500 |
| Risk Level 1 | N/A | $1,000 | N/A | $0 – $1,000 |
Carlin says she hopes the initiative alleviates the pressure teacher vacancies have on the district.
“When I was sworn in on Nov. 19, shortly thereafter, I found out that we had well over 200 teacher vacancies,” she says. She adds that sections of Lee County, particularly the high-poverty areas, are suffering most from teacher shortages.
“Every child deserves to have a high-quality teacher, in my book,” Carlin says.
Determining high-risk schools
To ensure incentives accurately reflect the work, Carlin first had to identify the risk level of each school. She says they were determined in conjunction with the district’s teachers union.
“Representatives of our bargaining teams looked at some of the data that was produced to determine which schools have the highest propensity to be at risk,” she explains. “What we’re always trying to do is avoid having D and F schools.”
The first step was assessing the percentage of students receiving direct certification, an indicator of socioeconomic status. They also considered the percentage of students who are at a level three or higher on their English language arts assessment.
“It’s really about poverty and the percentage of students that you have in your school that have traditionally been underperforming,” she says. “Then, the risk levels were derived from that.”
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Hope for results
Carlin says her greatest hope for this teacher incentive strategy is, as the 27th largest school district in the nation, to have zero teacher vacancies. “We know that student achievement is closely linked to having a high-quality teacher in every classroom,” she notes.
“I want to be the superintendent who has a district that has all the teacher vacancies filled so we can give all of our children the opportunity to achieve at high levels. Whether they are from families with high poverty or not, every one of them can have the opportunity to learn and succeed.”
While it’s too early to tell, she says principals in her high-risk schools are receiving many more applicants.
“I had one principal who pulled me aside the other day and said, ‘I used to get maybe one or two applicants at that. Now, I have multiple applicants.’ She’s really excited,” says Carlin.
How to replicate this teacher incentive strategy
To replicate this teacher incentive model, Carlin says it requires thoughtful communication with your teachers union, regardless of whether it can be implemented outside the bargaining process.
“Have those conversations up front, be clear about your vision and look at what resources you have available to you,” Carlin says.
For instance, Lee County is relying on a couple of Florida statutes to carry out this initiative, including statutes 1012.2315 and 1001.42(21)(a.b), which have been crucial to the initiative’s success. If you don’t have such support from your state, Carlin recommends working with your local legislators and seeing if there are laws “that can be put into play.”
Another option is hiring a government relations director within your district. This individual would build relationships with state and local governments to pave the way for your district’s goals and strategic planning.
“That’s why we’re excited we live in Florida,” she says. “Our governor and legislature gave us the leverage and the autonomy to be able to do the things we need based on the needs of our district.”
