As part of a far-reaching effort to create a statewide teacher-advancement model, the Iowa Department of Education this week released an extensive proposal to create new career paths and differentiated compensation for educators. The proposal is expected to be the centerpiece of Republican Governor Terry Branstad鈥檚 2013 education agenda.
Last fall, Gov. Branstad鈥檚 administration offered a similar but less detailed blueprint that was ultimately rejected by the state鈥檚 House of Representatives. Gov. Branstad subsequently appointed a Teacher Leadership and Compensation Taskforce鈥攎ade up of Iowa education association directors, school administrators, university directors, education experts, and teachers鈥攖o look more closely at the issues involved and to lay out specific responsibilities and pay increases for teacher-leadership roles. The task force鈥檚 recommendations make up the proposal issued this week.
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鈥淲e want to make sure we are making the best use of talented teachers to increase teacher leadership in schools and improve student learning,鈥� Linda Fandel, the governor鈥檚 special assistant for education, said about the new proposal.
International Models
In crafting the new recommendations, the task force researched a variety of teacher-staffing and development models, including those used in Singapore, Ontario, and Shanghai. Jason Glass, the director of the Iowa Department of Education, said that these school systems have all improved their education systems through the creation of teacher-leadership roles, the distribution of power and responsibility among teachers, and strong teacher-collaboration structures.
The task force also examined innovative models within the state. In the Cedar Rapids school district, for example, teachers receive pay hikes when they obtain outside education credits, and when they serve as 鈥渇acilitators,鈥� or mentors, to other teachers. The district also has a teacher-induction specialist who works with new teachers.
The committee鈥檚 new proposal recommends increasing starting pay for teachers from $28,000 to $35,000, and creating a career-pathway plan for teachers comprised of six roles鈥攊nitial, career, model, mentor, master, and emeritus. Teachers would be promoted 鈥渂ased on their experience and ability to effectively improve student achievement,鈥� Glass said.
Glass noted the proposed career-pathways structure was expanded from the four teacher roles included in the first blueprint based on the task force鈥檚 international and domestic research. The use of six roles 鈥渆merged from our analysis as the best model for Iowa,鈥� said Glass.
Not a 鈥楥areer Ladder鈥�
Ryan Wise, a policy fellow at the department of education who served as facilitator of the task force, explained that while the proposal calls for an increase in salary as teachers move through each level, the new structure is not to be confused with a career ladder. 鈥淎 ladder implies a hierarchy. We see these roles as pathways with permeable boundaries,鈥� he said.
Glass estimated that the cost of implementing the task force鈥檚 proposal could be as high as $150 million. The proposal recommends that the legislature 鈥渁ppropriate new money鈥� to support the teacher-advancement model. The report also calls for the Iowa Department of Education, the governor, the legislature, and local school districts to 鈥渇urther review all existing allocations鈥� to determine if those sources could be used 鈥渕ore strategically to enhance teacher compensation and create leadership opportunities.鈥� Further, Glass said, by phasing in the new roles and pay increases, 鈥渢he state may not have to bite all that off at once.鈥�
While the taskforce鈥檚 recommendations present a comprehensive new vision for educators鈥� professional growth, Iowa has been wrestling with the implementation of a teacher-advancement program for a number of years. In 2001, the Iowa legislature passed the Student Achievement and Teacher Quality Act, which outlined career paths for teachers tied to increased compensation, but the initiative never got off the ground, mainly due to financing issues. In 2007, the state passed a law calling for pilot testing of career-ladder and performance-pay systems. However, after testing in three districts, none of the programs were scaled up to the state level.
