The Governor and Lieutenant Governor told a group of teachers at a forum on education reform in Marion Tuesday that their plan to restructure teacher salaries does need more work. Part of the proposal would give raises to teachers who spend less time in the classroom and more time mentoring other educators.
Lin-Mar teacher Erin Watts says she’s worried the plan wouldn’t do anything for those who aren’t interested in being mentors.
“If I’m a great career teacher, and I don’t want to come out of the classroom, I love my kids, I love what I do – how do I ever make any more money?,” Watts asked, “because on this plan, the only way to ever make more money is to become a mentor or master teacher.”
The higher pay levels would be limited to just 15% of all teachers. Linn-Mar teacher Kathleen Kelly says that’s frustrating.
“Well and if the 15% is already filled, I can’t get into the 15%, it’s full! So why would I go any further, you know? And it’s not that I don’t want to be a good teacher, you know, it’s just that there’s 15%, that’s what you’ve allotted. I go no further,” Kelly says.
The meeting is part of a series of town halls the governor’s office is having as they prepare education reform proposals to bring to next year’s legislature.