“There’s a lot we don’t know about how to ensure that every child in South Carolina gets a decent education. There’s also a lot we do know.

We know that poor kids start out behind their better-off peers and need extra help just to catch up. And they’re less likely to get the support they need from home throughout their school years.

We know the most important in-school determinant of a child’s success is the quality of the teacher.

We know, too, that in most cases, the best teachers don’t want to work in the worst-performing schools — not because they don’t want to help struggling kids but because those schools tend not to be attractive work environments. And district leaders are hesitant to force their best teachers into the worst schools in the midst of a national teacher shortage, lest they take their skills to another district.

So one of the most crucial challenges we face in providing the education we need all kids in our state to receive is convincing the best teachers to go to work in the worst schools. As S.C. Education Superintendent Ellen Weaver told us recently: “We need our very best rock star teachers in our most challenging classrooms.”

Earlier this month, Ms. Weaver rolled out a plan to help attract some of those best teachers to the schools where kids need them most by offering sizeable bonuses for measurable results.

Well, announced isn’t quite right: She proposed the idea back in January, but…”

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