Abstract
Purpose. The purposes of this study were to: (1) identify the effects on K–12 school districts in California, as perceived by an expert panel, that could result from implementing a statewide teachers' salary schedule, (2) rank the effects that experts identified as having potential impact on K–12 school districts as a result of implementing a California statewide teachers' salary Schedule, and (3) describe the experts' reactions to the group rankings of effects potentially having impact on K–12 school districts as a result of implementing a California statewide teachers' salary schedule. Methodology. A Delphi study was conducted in three rounds with a panel of nineteen experts. Data were collected between June and August 2003, via e-mail, FAX, and the USPS. The data were organized by themes. Experts ranked the themes from high to low. Findings. A new funding model would need to be created. Provisions would need to be made for the transition period, ensuring that teachers would not receive less salary as a result of implementing a statewide schedule. Incentives for "hard to fill" positions, longevity bonuses, and stipends would need to be uniform throughout the state. These incentives would need to be additional income rather than included in the statewide salary schedule. There would be a shift in labor negotiations from local leadership to the state level, creating one powerful negotiating unit for teachers. The focus of local collective bargaining would shift from salary to other negotiated items. This could cause reduced interest, time, and contentiousness of local collective bargaining and result in a heightened positive district climate. Elimination of salary competition among districts throughout the state may pose a challenge for districts in less-desirable areas to recruit qualified teachers. Teachers would have greater flexibility of movement, which could be professionally productive. Teachers could select their place of employment based on factors other than salary. Conclusions. Budget considerations would have the greatest effects on K–12 school districts. Teachers would have greater flexibility of movement, resulting in an increased pool of teachers from which districts could hire. The structure of collective bargaining would change dramatically.