DSEA Action!

Big Picture: Alternative Compensation Is there a better way to pay teachers and specialists? - by David Wright he push to change the model for teacher compensation continues to gain steam and is already being implemented in states from Maine to Colorado. The tradition of 'step-and-lane' appears likely to change not just in isolated states and districts, but nationwide. "Let's get rid of step and lane," said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel, in remarks to the Education Writers Association (EWA) in early October. "It forces people to work for peanuts when they start and, if you stay 30 years, you get all the way to, depending on the state, $40,000, $70,000, or $80,000." The teaching profession continues to rapidly evolve, which makes adherence to the static structure of step-and-lane archaic. Changing the compensation model resonates because policy makers and teacher organizations are willing to make attempts at creating a model which achieves results for students, fairly compensates teachers, and attracts the best candidates. T Defining the Systems The current system of teacher compensation in Delaware is called a "single salary schedule", or stepand-lane. The salary grid prescribes a dollar value to each step and lane. Steps are defined as the horizontal rows which identify years of experience and Lanes are the columns that represent a person's level of education. It is considered "single" because there is no differentiation among employees for grade levels or subjects taught. Alternative compensation is the umbrella term applied to models which deviate from step-and-lane. The most common types of alternative compensation are: knowledge/skill-based pay; market-based pay; career ladder; evaluation-based pay, extra-duty-based pay; and pay for test results. Evaluation-based pay and pay based on test score results are two of the more controversial models. They have received the most attention nationally The controversy . lies in the desire to tie compensation to systems and outcomes which are not within the teacher's control. In evaluation-based models, evaluations by administrators form the justification for pay This is prob. lematic because it assumes that all parts of the evaluation system are properly vetted and designed to be equitable across grade and subject levels. As Delaware educators can attest, creating this type of evaluation system is an exacting endeavor. Tying compensation to results from tests is equally problematic. The goal of using tests to provide a barometer for learning progress is often supported by educators. However, basing a teacher's pay on where on the scale their students fall doesn't factor in the effect which non-classroom influences can have on learning. Even though alternative models, when examined on their own, are rife with inequities, legislatures was given a moratorium in 2009. The committee's recommendations regarding the benefit of tying test performance to teacher pay is perhaps the most contentious. While the state has never done this, the discussion has continued. NEA's Position NEA supports the move to alternative models of compensation, believing it is one of the best ways to aid in the recruitment of candidates and better ensure they stay in the profession. In order to achieve this goal, NEA has outlined five key principles they believe must guide the creation and implementation of these new models: (1) Outline a career path for teachers who want additional responsibility but remain in the classroom (2) Recognize and reward teachers for knowledge and skills that improve their teaching practices (3) Recognize and reward teacher practice that improves student learning and outcomes (4) Provide guidance for how to "If we're to have the best education system in the country, we can't continue to have the lowest starting and average teacher salaries in our region," said Gov. Markell. and state education departments across the country continue to press forward with plans to move away from the single-salary schedule. Delaware History Delaware is no different in exploring changes to the step-andlane model of compensation. The discussion began in earnest during Senator Tom Carper's tenure as Governor (1993-2001). In 1998, then-Governor Carper established the Education Salary Schedule Improvement Committee. He tasked it with identifying clear methods by which the state could create a more diverse model for compensating its teachers. In fact, many of the recommendations made by the committee were adopted, such as incentivizing graduatelevel coursework and providing a percentage increase for National Board Certification. The increase 10 Nov./Dec. 2013 DSEA ACTION! Dennis Van Roekel, NEA President, also highlighted this point in his remarks to the EWA, stating "If you're not willing to invest more money into the compensation system, it's a really difficult challenge to find a different way of paying teachers." Transparency in the new system is also important to success. Lawmakers, educators, and the public must be able to understand the new salary structure and how effectiveness will be monitored. A lack of transparency on these fronts will risk a loss of support, which inevitably impacts financial sustainability . Collaboration amongst the parties will also influence success. The new model must be co-created with teachers through collective bargaining in order to be seen as legitimate by teachers. Without collaboration, implementation could be seen as yet another top-down directive from individuals who are not impacted by the changes. Addressing these concerns does not mean success. However, it does ensure that the new model and its parameters are co-created by those directly affected by the changes. Looking Ahead compensate teachers for their duties beyond direct instruction (5) Position teachers on par with the salary, professional opportunities, and career earnings of comparably-prepared individuals Even though NEA believes in the importance of creating new models, the issues of sustainability, transparency, and collaboration will play a large role in determining success. Roadblocks to Change The desire and energy to create a new model for teacher compensation will undoubtedly run into several pragmatic concerns, each with the capacity to seriously hinder success. The first issue is the financial sustainability of the changes. States or districts must commit to providing the financial support necessary to sustain an improved compensation structure. Without financial support, the initiative cannot survive. The key to success may well rest with understanding the potential value in making changes and embarking on a path of collaboration. The value of changing teacher compensation in Delaware was explored extensively under Governor Tom Carper and continues under Governor Markell. "If we're to have the best education system in the country, we can't continue to have the lowest starting and average teacher salaries in our region," said Gov. Markell. "I ask that the General Assembly work with me to reexamine pay structure so we can incentivize teaching in high-needs schools and critical subjects, raise starting teacher pay, and reward teacher leadership." The work for teacher organizations like DSEA will be to ensure that changes are equitable, sustainable, and grounded in common sense. Information from David Schein (NEA), Kaitlin Remington (Center for American Progress), and John Rosales (NEA) was used in writing this article. @dseafan www.dsea.org

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