Ryan Kerby, superintendent of schools in New Plymouth, testifying in favor of SB 1108 and 1110, said, "For students to learn more, instruction has to improve." Kerby said the pay-for-performance plan would have stronger support if there were money to fund it now. "You come up with $50 million and a lot of this fighting goes away," he said, gesturing to the nearly-filled Capitol Auditorium, where the hearing is taking place. "We need to, in a time of recession, do some things differently. I think this is a great opportunity to pay teachers more. I don't see them getting raises for a while."

Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow, asked Kerby how a pay-for-performance plan can account for influences on student performance other than teachers, from parent involvement to other factors in a student's life. Kerby said, "We can't choose our parents."

So far, there are eight people signed up to testify in favor of the bills, and 34 against.