The Denver School of Science and Technology, part of the Denver Public School system, has announced a grant of $1 million from the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation in support of the charter school network's Teacher Career Pathway program.

The gift will count toward the $3 million matching requirement on a 2011 gift from cable television entrepreneur John C. Malone to DSST, and will enable the network to build on some of the recent education reform innovations enacted in Colorado, including Colorado Senate Bill 10-191, which aims to revolutionize teacher and principal accountability by measuring professional performance based on student results.

While pay-for-performance is a common practice in other industries and professions, it has long been a contentious topic in K-12 public education. In developing a comprehensive Teacher Career Pathway, which includes the opportunity to become a "master teacher," DSST seeks to keep outstanding teachers in the classroom.

"It is exciting to see how Senate Bill 191 is inspiring and leveraging community resources that will continue to support the work of outstanding Colorado teachers," said Colorado state senator and former educator Mike Johnston. "The DSST initiative is good news for Denver and could very well serve as a national model that would benefit many communities across the country."