For years, educators and government officials have debated what is the most effective payment system for teachers in the United States. Government officials say a “merit pay” system, in which teacher pay would reflect student test scores, would be most effective and would increase teacher performance. Teachers, on the other hand, see the merit pay system as a threat to their salaries and fear that they cannot control student performance. The debate will continue for years to come. However, many people will agree that fixed teacher pay systems are more conducive to teaching students and maintaining a stable learning environment for all. Merit pay systems, also known as performance pay, have been around since 1862. Starting in England, these systems focused on how many students attended classes and how many students passed (Harris). The main goal of this particular system, in the Progressive Era, was to attract the best teachers in certain areas and to make sure that children in schools learned a sufficient education. As time has passed, the program's core objectives have remained relatively the same. However, the pay-for-performance program's popularity has faltered since its creation. For example, when the Russians launched Sputnik, there was a drastic push towards academic excellence throughout the United States (Harris). In turn, many merit-based pay systems were implemented in the hope of giving teachers plenty of incentives and enticing them to perform to the best of their abilities. Most schools that had implemented the pay-for-performance plan within their school systems abandoned the program within the next ten years. Many other countries, such as Mexico and Bolivia, have also experimented with s...... middle of paper ......ty of Wisconsin-Madison, August 2007. Web. 15 February 2012. Kobakhidze, Magda N. “Teacher Incentives and the Future of Merit-Based Pay in Georgia.” Editorial. European Education 2010: 68-89. Premier of academic research. Network. February 12, 2012.Rosales, John. “NEA – Examining Merit Pay.” NEA - NEA Home. Network. February 15, 2012. .Smarick, Andy. “Diplomatic Mi$$ion.” Editorial. Education Next 2011: 56-63. Complete text on education. Network. February 12, 2012. Springer, Matthew G. Performance-Related Incentives: Their Growing Impact on American K-12 Education. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution, 2009. PrintWilliamson, Ronald. “Educational Partnerships, Inc.” Education Partnerships Inc. April 23, 2010. Web. February 12. 2012. .