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COMMUNIQUÉ Set it... E-DUES AVAILABLE NOW! A publication of the Iowa State Education Association – DEC 2012/JAN 2013 – Vol. 50, No. 3 and forget it! So what is a teacher leader? In the spring of 2012, the Iowa Legislature adopted an education package (Senate File 2284) which directed the creation of six state task forces. One of the six, the Teacher Leadership and Compensation Task Force, was charged with helping the state explore areas of teacher leadership roles and compensation issues. The report issued by this Task Force is not a legislative blueprint nor chock-full of details. It is a report resulting in a consensus of ideas gathered from a group representing a cross section of education experts including ISEA members. The report offers some guidance for discussion and approaches to legislation so that important details and differences may be hammered out when the Legislature convenes in January. Following are the basic concepts recommended by the Task Force: Create and fund multiple, meaningful, and well-designed Career Pathway opportunities open to all teachers in Iowa. There are no tiers or quotas for school districts to meet. This is a broad concept for school districts to adopt. Establish a pathway that utilizes the wisdom and expertise of educators who are not currently practicing, including retired teachers. Typically this would not place "Emeritus" educators in classrooms; rather it seeks to utilize their expertise in teacher leadership positions. Review existing allocations and use these funds strategically to enhance teacher compensation and create leadership opportunities. It is important that funds used to support teacher salaries are not reallocated. Appropriate new money for the explicit purposes of raising base pay to a competitive level and creating additional leadership opportunities for teachers. Specifically, this means raising base pay from $28,000 to $35,000 over three years. This concept is also tied to an inflationary measure for beginning teacher salaries, which would automatically adjust beginning pay each year. Establish a Commission on Educator Leadership and Compensation to ensure consistent and successful implementation of any new Legislative plan. The ISEA must be part of this group. The consensus of the Task Force was that a monitoring body was needed for any real changes to be made. Collaborate with districts implementing a mechanism for piloting peer assistance and coaching programs. The Iowa Department of Education will monitor work already being done in several school districts. cont.' on page 11 IN THIS ISSUE 5 TEACHING & LEARNING ISEA Academy classes now online! 7 STATE 2013 ISEA Legislative Priorities 8 EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION Vernon Middle School teacher wins top ISEA honor