[Vision2020] Idaho districts begin work on teacher merit pay data

[Moscow Cares]

Courtesy of today's (September 22, 2012) Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

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Idaho districts begin work on teacher merit pay data

School superintendents face piles of school records, a month-long wait, and, perhaps, election results before teachers in their districts can receive merit bonuses.
The State Board of Education released preliminary data on teacher merit pay to district superintendents this week. Districts have 30 days to submit an appeal if they feel the data is incorrect.
Latah County superintendents are now reviewing district records and deciding whether or not to appeal.
"We will be going through hundreds of Moscow School District records with a fine tooth comb and submitting any and all appeals necessary to ensure that our certificated staff members receive their appropriate merit bonus," said Dale Kleinert, superintendent of Moscow School District.
The merit pay results, which were initially scheduled to go out Sept. 1, are still in the early stages. Districts around the state will be going through records to determine whether they will appeal, which could change local results throughout the state. The state will consider appeals and release finalized data Nov. 12, before distributing funding Nov. 15.
"At first glance, it appears that our schools and teachers were successful in obtaining at least a partial bonus payment," said Tera Reeves, superintendent of Whitepine School District.
She said as long as the staff numbers Whitepine gave the state in May match up with the data released, they will not submit any appeals.
Potlatch School District faced an additional hurdle. Because of a "glitch" in the district's connection with the state's data system, Superintendent Jeff Cirka said he was unable to view the merit pay information.
Teachers are uncertain about the security of their bonuses because of a statewide measure that could invalidate the raises during an election just a week before funding is scheduled to be released.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said the state would have no authority to pay out the bonuses if his reforms are overturned in the Nov. 6 election. Secretary of State Ben Ysursa suggested the payout may be disbursed regardless of the election's outcome since the results will not be certified until Nov. 21. Whether or not this is true remains to be seen.
"We are under the impression that the disbursement of the pay for performance is still contingent on the results of the referendum in November," Kleinert said.
Teachers may feel pressured into voting against the referendum if their merit bonuses depend on it, even though teachers generally have opposed the Luna reforms that the measures seek to overturn.
But Reeves said her teachers are concerned about their students foremost.
"The Whitepine District and its employees are dedicated to doing whatever it takes to help our students succeed, bonus money or not," she said.

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Seeya at the polls, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares"
http://www.MoscowCares.com
  
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students.  The college students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."

- Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007)
 
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