Maries R-2 implements Career Ladder

By Roxie Murphy, Staff Writer
Posted 10/5/22

BELLE — The Maries County R-2 Board of Education is preparing to implement a  Career Ladder initiative that will allow teachers who offer additional resources above and beyond contract …

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Maries R-2 implements Career Ladder

Posted

BELLE — The Maries County R-2 Board of Education is preparing to implement a  Career Ladder initiative that will allow teachers who offer additional resources above and beyond contract duties to receive additional compensation.

Superintendent Dr. Lenice Basham explained the initiative to the board in August.

“This is reimbursing for things done outside of contract time is to improve instruction,” Basham said.

Basham said on Sept. 27 after approving the objective in August, a committee was created and 28 teachers have submitted their plans to participate in the program. However, they are still working on a way to include coaches.

“ Career Ladder is providing some opportunities for teachers and some coaches,” Basham began. “The  Career Ladder doesn’t necessarily allow for (coaches), but Mrs. Robertson and I have started working out a proposal for a summer stipend. How to recognize those coaches for the 20 days that they have contact in the summer.”

The coaches stipend is being discussed outside of  Career Ladder opportunities.

“In the next few months we should have a proposal for summer league stipend,” Basham said.

Director Aaron Vandegriff said he thinks the program is a great idea.

“I think another way of going on about that would be to add that to the holistic dollar amount and make the summer almost mandatory,” Vandegriff said. “Tell them ‘you’re going to get your money’ but make that 20 hours or whatever mandatory in the summer.”

Basham said that is what they are working on. Some coaches do have a 20 day contact contract requirement, and they are asking other schools how they hold coaches available to a summer league program.

“I have talked to the schools in our area about how they supplement summer league,” Basham said. “Then we will come back in, I suspect January, and that will give us plenty of time of time to figure out where it is in the budget, and if we have money to sustain it. I don’t want it to be a one or two year thing.”

Basham said the  Career Ladder and stipend program needs to be something that is sustainable in order to successfully build programs. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) funded the program previously for about 10 years until the money ran out and the initiative died. The district matches funds with DESE to provide Career Ladder.

Vandegriff said he reached out to the St. James school and all coaches have one set stipend for extra 20 days during the summer to build programs.

Basham said some coaches already have a 20 day contract requirement and others do not.

“So if they don’t have the 20 day contact in their contract do you want them to have some kind of accountability for that summer league?” Basham asked, and informed the board that they are looking into asking other schools how they hold coaches accountable for summer leagues. When she receives answers she will bring them back to the board.

“We don’t vote on stipends until April and that should give us plenty of time to figure out where it fits,” Basham said. “And to make sure we have money to sustain it.”

Basham said it has been a long time since they have offered Career Ladder and those coaches required to make contact in the summer aren’t getting paid for it.

“We want them to do summer league because we want a successful team in the fall,” Basham continued. “We are trying to work on a proposal for that, probably by the first of the year.”

DESE has guidelines regarding Career Ladder on its website. Eligible teachers have to have taught in a Missouri public school for more than two years to qualify for Career Ladder.

Basham added that she has concerns for a teacher culture survey about burnout and well-being.

“We are talking about how do we support our teachers through that part,” Basham said. “We do have a grant we got for COVID to provide some mental health. We have been pushing that more.”

Basham said they are pushing the mental health options more.

The survey sent out to the teachers had three mandatory questions and a few optional questions.

“We are having burnout a month into school?” Vandegriff asked.

Basham said it is common.

“The beginning of school is the most stressful time as a teacher,” Basham said. “You are getting a new class, you are getting new management. They’re stressed until you get your class settled and it gets a little worse at the end of the year again.”

Basham said they will talk more every month about culture and climate stakeholders.

The coaches stipend and  Career Ladder are options the district has made available to long-term teachers who were not eligible to receive Gov. Mike Parson’s recommended minimum salary raise in August.

Basham estimates  Career Ladder will cost the district about $25,000 for additional activities that teachers provide between Oct. 1 and May 1 and the coaches stipend will be available during the summer months.

The board of education approved the  Career Ladder initiative during the August meeting.