DMPS Chosen for Teacher Leadership System Funds

Des Moines Public Schools has been awarded funding under the state’s Teacher Leadership and Compensation System, the Iowa Department of Education announced today.

For DMPS, this will mean approximately $10 million per year in funding, and support nearly 100 new positions to improve classroom instruction and raise student achievement.

Visit the DMPS TLC web page for more information about what this means for the school district, along with updates and announcements.

Below is the press release issued by the Iowa Department of Education announcement school districts that were awarded funds.

125 school districts chosen for teacher leadership system

Iowa Department of Education Director Brad Buck today announced the next group of school districts chosen to launch local teacher leadership plans through Iowa’s new Teacher Leadership and Compensation System.

This effort to tap into the expertise of top teachers to improve classroom instruction and raise student achievement is the centerpiece of the state’s landmark education reform package passed by the Legislature in 2013. The system paves the way for more support and greater collaboration for all teachers to learn from each other instead of operating largely in isolation within their classrooms.

“Students face higher expectations today, and we must support the complex work of teaching in order to improve the instruction students receive,” Buck said. “It’s very encouraging that so many education leaders in Iowa share this commitment and want to participate in this transformational teacher leadership effort, which is the most comprehensive in the nation.”

Buck said 170 school districts from across the state applied to join the teacher leadership system in the second round.

Of those, 125 school districts were chosen to put in place local plans – 74 of them during the 2015-16 school year and another 51 during the 2016-17 school year. The school districts serve a mix of urban, suburban and rural communities.

The 125 selected districts join 39 other districts that were chosen to implement the first teacher leadership systems this fall. The goal is to have all Iowa school districts participate in the optional system by 2016-17, Buck said.

School districts were chosen based on recommendations of the Commission on Educator Leadership and Compensation, which evaluates the applications.

Teacher leadership plans promise to help students learn more by better meeting their individual needs. They also will attract and retain more effective teachers by enhancing career opportunities and paying stipends for taking on extra responsibilities.

“The more I visit schools that are implementing teacher leadership plans, the more convinced I am that this system will improve learning and achievement for all students,” Buck said.

Districts that apply to start teacher leadership systems are required to set a vision and goals for what they plan to accomplish. They also must address “must-haves,” such as setting a minimum teacher salary of $33,500, improving entry into the profession through efforts that include mentoring new teachers, and a rigorous selection process for leadership roles.

The teacher leadership system will cost nearly $50 million in fiscal year 2015. That amount is expected to grow to about $150 million annually by fiscal year 2017.

Click here for a complete list of Iowa school districts that will receive TLC funds.