Preferred database design method for assigning user roles? (Hats vs. Groups)

Question

I have medium sized MySQL database with a primary \"persons\" table which contains basic contact information about every human being connected to the theatre and theatre school

Answer 1

Are teachers the only 'person' that has a pay rate? You may be limiting your design by doing it this way. What you may want to do is have an attributes table that stores additional attributes for a 'person'. This will allow for future modifications.