District leaders briefed trustees on proposed changes to the Teacher Excellence Initiative that incorporate feedback from teachers, staff and stakeholders.
TEI is a continuous improvement model for strategic compensation that seeks to define, support and reward teacher excellence.
Under one proposed change, teachers at Proficient I and above would receive performance retention increases on top of their base salaries if they stay at the same effectiveness level. Survey results show that 80 percent of teachers believe such an increase would make TEI more fair.
Other proposed TEI changes include:
- Reducing the number of spot observations;
- Ensuring market competitiveness for all pay levels, including the Teacher Introductory Compensation Schedule;
- Opening eligibility to apply for Distinguished Teacher Review (DTR) to the top 30 percent of teachers;
- Simplifying the DTR application length, and reducing the frequency of the DTR application process from every two years to every three years;
- Refining professional development to further match the development needs of teachers.
Meanwhile, a working group of industry partners and board members has been meeting since January to determine other areas of TEI focus for 2017–2018. Recommendations from the group include:
- Developing a plan to promote an atmosphere where employees feel valued and appreciated;
- Exploring the reduction in the number of evaluation ratings and effectiveness levels;
- Ensuring all effectiveness levels are attainable and funding is sustainable long-term;
- Ensuring TEI compliments the district’s efforts to keep and recruit effective teachers.
