DES MOINES – Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and Director of Education Ryan Wise continued visiting Iowa school districts last week and this week to get an update on the first year of Iowa’s new Teacher Leadership and Compensation System. Visits included Dubuque Community Schools on Friday, Nov. 6 by Gov. Branstad, Lt. Gov. Reynolds and Director Wise. Gov. Branstad and Director Wise finished this round of visits at Waukee Prairieview School and Cardinal Middle-Senior High School yesterday.
Iowa’s Teacher Leadership and Compensation System is the centerpiece of Iowa’s landmark 2013 education reform package. It is being phased in over three years, with an investment of $150 million annually when fully in place in 2016-17.
The two main goals of the most extensive teacher leadership system in the nation are to utilize the expertise of many of our best teachers to improve instruction and raise achievement, and transform the teaching profession to attract and retain more outstanding teachers.
According to the executive summary of the program: “If we effectively compensate teachers; recruit and promote excellent teachers and provide support as they collaborate reflectively to refine their practice; create the political will and understanding necessary to remake the status of the teaching profession; give highly effective teachers opportunities to grow, refine, and share their expertise; and develop a clear system with quality implementation, then… student learning will increase, student outcomes will improve, and students will be prepared to succeed in a globally competitive environment.”
All school districts in Iowa have applied to start teacher leadership systems in 2016-17.
