North Carolina looks bad on most national comparisons of how it pays teachers. But when it comes to rewarding those who earn certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the state does better than most.
Certification, which requires teachers to meet demanding national standards and analyze their own teaching techniques, brings a 12 percent bump to teacher salaries here. Exactly where that ranks is hard to say because there are so many different approaches.
Twenty states provide some kind of salary incentive, and most of those offer a flat amount rather than a percentage, says the board's communication director Aparna Kumar. For instance, a recent state report comparing North Carolina to surrounding states showed that South Carolina offers $5,000 a year, while Virginia offers $5,000 the first year and $2,500 in subsequent years. Georgia has approved rewarding board certification but has yet to provide the money, the report from the N.C. General Assembly's Fiscal Research Division says. Tennessee provides no statewide reward but encourages local districts to do so.
In North Carolina, the amount of the certification bump depends on the teacher's base salary. For one making the state minimum of $30,800, 12 percent comes to just under $3,700. For a teacher at the top of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools scale, it's a bit over $8,300 a year.
"As a rough comparison, North Carolina is among the states with a strong incentive in the approximately $4,000 to $6,000 range," Kumar said.
North Carolina was one of the first states to embrace the certification process as a way to develop strong teachers. North Carolina has more board certified teachers than any other state, and Wake County tops all other districts nationwide.
"North Carolina is well poised to build from its history of strong support to help make Board certification the norm for teachers as it is in other high-regard professions such as medicine," said board President Ronald Thorpe.
N.C. leaders are scrutinizing every aspect of teacher compensation in hopes of getting the best bang for the taxpayer buck. They're phasing out extra pay for master's degrees, arguing that the 10 percent increase doesn't correspond to stronger results for kids. So far they seem willing to keep the certification pay intact, though I never venture a firm prediction on what the future might hold.
Friday, May 2, 2014
Board certified teachers fare well in NC
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18 comments:
Well, if they have an overall plan for all this, it would be nice if they could articulate it well.
If the goal is to have more board certified teachers, then make that clear.
Otherwise, it just looks like random attacks against teachers and the "profession".
If all the teachers pay is frozen, who cares? The used to be new teachers that are 7 years in are know starting families. What's 12% of 30 to 40k going to do? They need a pay plan. NC needs to stop treating them like the enemy. I thought Mcory wanted to keep teachers and recruit the best. My sons school is falling apart. We are loosing good teachers left and right. I didn't know what a long term sub was until this year. I used to love my boy's school. What is going on?
while I really appreciate the teachers who have worked to educate my children and have excelled at doing so, this is a losing battle.
Teachers in this state simply don't have anyone advocating for them, they are the scape goat for both useless politicians and lazy, uninvolved, good for nothing parents.
I don't know why anyone would teach in NC. Until people start taking responsibility for their children and the political climate changes, teaching in NC is a dead end job.
NBCT is not available for all content areas, even if I wanted the additional compensation.
I am so disheartened as I talk with my AK senior daughter and the things she tells me about her peers, and what's going on at her school. She can't wait to get out of there; the social pressures, the drinking, the drugs, the "blind eye" by coaches and administration. To be a teacher in that environment would be like an overpaid babysitter. No thanks.
Ann
How much has been spent in CMS on pay for performance evaluations ? How much has been spent over the past 6 years on consultant salaries to implement these programs such as Andy "I DONT KNOW" Baxter? How much has CMS spent over the past 6 years on these performance tests that many were simply discarded?
How much total was spent last year in raises for administration otherwise known as " MARKET ADJUSTMENTS" ?
Follow the money ANN and give us the hard numbers. Let the taxpayers see the waste and how salaries and benefits could be saved without inept spending.
A promotion is the only thing that has kept me out of the poverty level pay range. Let's remember that not only are teachers affected but all support staff who can easily go find a job in the private sector.
It is no wonder that even the "best" of the schools are seeing behavior not wished by any citizen. Teachers just don't have enough time in the day and nor, now, incentive to care.
Actually if you do the math, most are underpaid. I am sorry for your problems but most teachers who complain, end up gone. NC is strange..
Shame on NC..
I think it's a joke, a raise for new teachers, that is still less then surrounding areas. Experienced teachers with families get another year of limbo and the veteran are retiring. We get what we vote for.
Follow the Money ?
It is at the bottom of the black hole with money spent on the war on drugs and the war on poverty.
Trillions spent by inept bureaucrats that has no measurable results or resulted in the US going backwards!
National Board Certification is now a three-year process, making the prospect of a pay bump a distant dream. Does anyone have confidence that the Republican legislature won't pull the rug out from under those candidates, as well?
It's all about having an ignorant, cheap, and disposable workforce in NC. Smart people think critically and question the status quo. When has the word "progressive" EVER been associated with the gun-toting true believers in this state?
Truth is being nationally board certified doesn't have an impact on student growth either. Gorman made that statement at the same time he discussed the master's incentive and then back peddled quickly and never repeated it again. Always wondered why.
In any case most teachers just want their raises and step pay that we lost during the recession. Every thing has gone up and our pay has not kept up.
Somebody was making money of them..
9:37 - we feel the same way. There is apathy all across the board with the students, parents and some staff members.
The "old school" traits of respect for education and respect for adults is being eroded, and not supported by CMS administration.
C'mon, people are upset with the CMS education factory? Put your money where your mouth is and send your kids to a local private school where they will actually be held accountable and learn something.
Every year that my children had a teacher working on National Board Certification, their education suffered. The teachers spend all of their time on this STUPID label, and don't give a crap about the kids. Anyone who truly believes that this is better than a Graduate degree is NUTS.
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