Newark Teachers Union Approves Contract With Merit-Based Bonus

Was passed two to one, or "closer than expected," as critics of the deal put it

In a landmark vote, the Newark Teachers Union on Wednesday ratified the state's first teacher contract to provide bonus pay based on classroom performance.

The three-year deal, which awards merit pay to teachers who earn a rating of "highly effective," was approved, 1,767-1,088, with almost 62 percent of the membership supporting it. More than 2,800 of the nearly 4,700 union members turned out at union headquarters on Broad Street in Newark throughout the day to cast ballots.