Last week Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds announced that all 336 Iowa school districts have applied to join the state’s Teacher Leadership and Compensation System, the most comprehensive teacher leadership system in the nation.
This targeted effort to tap into the expertise of top teachers to better support the more demanding work that teachers are expected to do and to raise student achievement is the centerpiece of the landmark education reform package adopted by the Legislature and signed by Branstad in 2013.
The legislation created a three-year phase in process to develop a statewide teacher leadership system, with the goal of all school districts participating by the 2016-17 school year. As of last week, all school districts in Iowa have developed and submitted local plans to participate in the teacher leadership system. When the teacher leadership system is fully phased in, it will cost $150 million annually.
“As the Lt. Governor and I travel around the state and visit with schools districts that are engaged in the Teacher Leadership and Compensation System, we’re hearing that this system is transforming instruction in the classroom,” said Branstad. “We know that these targeted investments are paving the way to give Iowa students a world-class education while revitalizing the teaching profession.”
The teacher leadership system rewards outstanding teachers with leadership opportunities, attracts promising teachers with competitive starting salaries and support, and fosters greater collaboration for all teachers to learn from each other.
The teacher leadership system is rooted in collaboration and partnership and was that way from the beginning, when a state task force’s recommendations in 2012 formed the basis of the successful legislative proposal. After a year of planning, school districts began applying for funding to implement teacher leadership system plans locally. The first teacher leadership system districts wrapped up their initial year last spring.
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