"For all the bluster, I think, in the end, my hope is that people would all come together and that we'll find a way to evaluate teachers, reward the best, give some help to those that aren't doing a great job, " he said during a brief radio appearance Friday morning.

WSJ: Mayor Draws Teacher Threat

New York and dozens of other states are overhauling the way teachers are graded, in a movement to try to identify and reward the best teachers, get rid of the worst ones and help mediocre teachers improve.

WSJ: Cuomo: State Might Impose Evaluations

"It is vital that schools can recruit and reward the best teachers, " said a Department for Education spokesman.

BBC: Teachers' performance pay on pupil progress

"I will create an incentive program to reward teachers who take on these challenges, " Mr. Thompson said in a speech on education policy at New York University.

WSJ: Thompson Proposes Plan for Teacher Merit Wages