ERC Funding Committee Meets September 23
On Wednesday, September 23, 2015, the Governor's Education Reform Commission (ERC) committee on Funding will convene at 10:00 in Room 450 of the Capitol. Committee members are likely to discuss the committee's emerging recommendations regarding teacher compensation, detailed in PAGE'S recent report.
|
Teacher Pay Changes Emerging
At its last meeting, the Funding Committee reached "preliminary consensus" on the newest compensation proposal which was authored by House Appropriations Education Subcommittee Chair Rep. Tom Dickson (R-Cohutta). The new compensation plan is referred to by some committee members as the "Dickson Compromise" and merges teacher Training and Experience (T & E) compensation components from Proposal 1 and Proposal 2.
Under the Dickson Compromise, the state would annually determine the state average teacher salary and multiply that figure by the number of teachers in the state. A per student amount would be calculated, and local school districts would earn funding based on student enrollment.
Unless they opt in to the new compensation model, current Georgia educators will be "grandfathered" under the current compensation model and continue to be paid on the state salary schedule, including any step or education and training increases. Charter Systems and Strategic Waiver Districts already have the flexibility through their charters and contracts to implement new compensation models on a timeline and in a manner of their choosing. This is important to understand, because under existing Georgia law, all but two school districts in Georgia have become or are in the process of adopting these governance structures and can deviate from current and proposed compensation methods.
For all new Georgia teachers (at a date not yet determined), and any existing teachers who choose to opt in to the new compensation model, funds would be allocated to local districts based on the state average teacher salary calculation.
Funding that local school districts would have earned for current employees (based on the state average teacher salary) beyond what they would have earned under the T & E calculation, would be used to increase the base amount of funding for students statewide.
All local school districts would be required to select a state-developed compensation model or develop local compensation models to submit for state approval. All new compensation models must have educator effectiveness as one component, but could also take into account experience, critical shortage areas or other local priorities.
The latest compensation proposal given a preliminary nod by the ERC Funding Committee is not without controversy. Many questions are not yet answered regarding how the state will determine average pay in future years, what the state base salary schedule will include, and what model the state will adopt for new teachers.
|
PAGE Statement on Compensation
PAGE has submitted the following feedback to the ERC Funding Committee members.
PAGE believes that in order to improve student outcomes, Georgia schools must attract and retain professional educators who are fairly compensated for their experience and preparation. We appreciate ERC Funding Committee efforts to continue training and experience (T & E) funding for existing Georgia educators. Salary proposals that fail to account for teacher training and experience may create inequities among veteran and new educators. PAGE supports the recruitment of the best and brightest to our profession and supports raising beginning teacher salaries. Redistribution of existing state funding for educator salaries without state budgetary enhancements has the potential to create winners and losers. Education is and must remain a collaborative endeavor. Georgia's experienced teachers have borne the burden of the recession through furloughs and salary reductions and must successfully mentor tomorrow's teachers. Both groups must be adequately compensated.
Under current Georgia law, charter and strategic waivers (IE2) districts have the legal authority to implement alternative compensation systems. Forcing all districts to adopt new compensation models or completely redesign local educator compensation without ample time, study, and community input is ill advised. Districts already face difficulty in recruiting staff due to differences in local salary supplements above the state minimum salary schedule. Continuing state funding for educator training and experience is essential to allow lower-wealth districts to attract and retain a qualified workforce. Any educator compensation system which exacerbates the gap in educator salaries between wealthy and poor districts jeopardizes financially-struggling systems' ability to recruit and retain a qualified workforce.
When considering adjustments to Georgia's educator compensation system, we hope the ERC will do the following:
- Consider feedback from practicing professional educators and others in the school community. In order to foster stakeholder buy-in on compensation changes, the ERC must move with transparency and deliberate effort to solicit educator feedback.
- Stabilize the current school workforce by continuing state funding for T & E, and continue that compensation model option for educators currently enrolled in advanced degree and educator preparation programs.
- Exercise caution when considering tying educator compensation to performance. Professional educators aren't afraid of accountability, but accountability measures must be fair and reliable. Current Georgia law mandates that test scores comprise 50 percent of teacher evaluations and 70 percent of school leader evaluations. These percentages should be reduced and the overemphasis on testing addressed.
- Consider additional compensation from state allocations for professional educators in high-needs schools and for classroom educators who voluntarily take on additional duties such as mentoring beginning teachers, coaching, and other leadership roles.
- Ensure that state funding commitments are sustained whenever the state supports initiatives for higher levels of professional preparation, such as National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
|
Now is the Time to Contact the ERC
Educators and other stakeholders are strongly encouraged to contact the ERC to provide feedback on the compensation proposal and other ERC recommendations. As always, educators should use personal email accounts and contact policymakers outside of instructional time.
|
