Teacher Pay & School Funding Cuts Debated with Other Important Funding Items
The Funding Committee of the Governor's Education Reform Commission (ERC) convened at the State Capitol on Thursday. Dr. Charles Knapp, who chairs both the full ERC and the Funding Committee opened the meeting by describing the "need to move forward, even if we don't have consensus" on proposed reforms. The committee engaged in discussion on the future of state funding for equalization, special education, sparsity, and other important education initiatives.
- Review ERC documents on Sparsity funding HERE
- Review ERC doc on Equalization funding HERE
- Review ERC doc on Special Education funding HERE
- Review ERC doc on categorical funding for Residential Treatment Centers, Special Needs Vouchers, Charter Systems Grants, State Charter School Supplements, Virtual State Charter Schools, & Preschool Handicapped HERE
- Review ERC document on Career Technical & Agricultural Education (CTAE) funding HERE & HERE
- Review additional ERC documents from today's meeting HERE & HERE
|
Interim Superintendent Describes Fulton Teacher Pay ChangesKen Zeff, Interim Superintendent of Fulton County Schools and recent addition to the ERC Teacher Committee, described Fulton's educator compensation initiatives. Notably, Zeff said that his district has worked over the last 18 months to revise educator compensation methods, that at least two teachers from every Fulton school serve on the committee, and that Fulton educators have received explicit assurances that they will not lose contracted pay as a result of compensation reform. Zeff said that Fulton's teacher pay reforms contain the following four components, only the first of which has been initiated: - Strategic Staffing: We pay a small group of teachers to go to neediest schools. We were able to raise additional funds to pay "super star" teachers an additional $20,000. The first cohort launched two weeks ago. Teachers need to self-select themselves. You never need to force teachers who do not want to go to low-performing schools.
- Performance Pay: We have not settled on the timeline to do it. We hope to stratify pay based on end-of-year evaluations. Teachers who get a TKES exemplary rating will receive a 4.5% raise. Proficient teachers receive a 3% raise. Needs development teachers receive 1.5%. Ineffective teachers receive no raise, in accordance with existing state law.
- Tuition Reimbursement: Educators have concern that compensation reform means advanced degrees don't matter. This message is demoralizing to teachers. Tuition reimbursement will occur over the course of several years, but earning the degree does not lock educators into new salary.
- Career Ladder: Teachers should not have to leave the classroom to make more money. We've created several levels of master teachers and intend to pay teachers to take on additional job duties.
Zeff also urged caution regarding the use of Georgia's educator evaluation system as a gauge for teacher compensation, saying "none of this works if you don't have an evaluation system that works."
To review an ERC update on Fulton County's and Marietta City's compensation redesigns, click HERE.
|
Preliminary Consensus Reached on Teacher Compensation "Compromise"
ERC Funding Committee member and House Appropriations Education Subcommittee Chair Rep. Tom Dickson (R-Cohutta) distributed a handout outlining a new teacher compensation proposal. The proposal was referred to as "a compromise" between two teacher pay proposals previously under ERC consideration, Option 2 (developed first) by the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget, and Option 1, by ERC Funding Committee member and House Appropriations Chair Rep. Terry England (R-Auburn).   Representative Dickson's Teacher Compensation Plan
|
Teacher Compensation Plan Questions Dickson's plan is skeletal, and many questions are not yet answered, including: - Can Georgia afford a new teacher compensation system using current education expenditures?
- How will pay-for-performance metrics impact educator recruitment and retention?
- Will teacher effectiveness measures be based on TKES and student growth metrics derived from standardized test scores?
- What will be the implementation date for moving incoming Georgia teachers on to new compensation plans?
- Will professional educator feedback regarding the proposal be solicited and incorporated?
- What impact does the work of the other ERC committees have on the newest compensation proposal? If the ERC School Choice Committee expands school choice and the ERC Funding Committee Expands the Student Base with the compensation plan, will public schools and students lose money?
PAGE will continue to analyze the latest educator compensation plan and encourages all education stakeholders to do the same. Stay tuned for additional information and analysis.
|
Austerity Cut Rolled into New Funding Formula? Next Steps
Committee members reached what Dr. Knapp called "preliminary consensus," to move the new compensation proposal forward. Read the AJC'S report of Thursday's compensation deliberation. After the teacher pay discussion, Funding Committee members engaged in a frank conversation about the annual ongoing $466 million austerity cut to Georgia's current school funding formula. ERC Funding Committee member and Senate Education Chair Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta) expressed reluctance to build a new state funding formula predicated on current state expenditures which underfund schools. "We cannot erase the ongoing school austerity reduction with the stroke of a pen" he said.
The next ERC Funding Committee is planned for September 23 at the State Capitol.
Now is the time to contact the ERC regarding the newest compensation proposal, the ongoing austerity cuts, and other funding items. Educators and other stakeholders are strongly encouraged to contact the ERC to provide feedback now at erc@opb.georgia.gov. As always, please remember to contact policymakers using non-school email accounts outside of instructional time.
|
Margaret Ciccarelli - Director of Legislative Affairs
|
