Obion County Board of Education
April 7, 2014

Background Information:

In June of 2013, the Tennessee State Board of Education adopted a policy that aids in the enforcement of T.C.A. §49-3-306(h) which mandates school systems develop , adopt, and implement a differentiated pay plan. This revised policy prevents districts from basing across-the-board pay increases solely on years of experience or advanced degrees. Districts must now differentiate pay compensation on at least one additional criterion. Differentiated pay criteria can include any of the following: additional roles and responsibilities, hard-to-staff schools or subject areas, and/or performance based on State Board approved teacher evaluation criteria.

Last fall, Mr. Huss appointed a committee made up of three teachers, two central office personnel, and himself to participate in an advanced planning cohort. This cohort met four times during the fall to study and consider options for aligning human capital strategies and needs. In addition the committee met locally numerous times to share input from their peers and determine the best option for Obion County Schools.

The committee considered all three criteria listed above and how each would affect the system. Factors taken into consideration were financial sustainability, effect on teacher morale, impact on student achievement, and staff retention and hiring. Because the system was in a transitional period with interim directors, the committee also felt that the plan should be structured so that it could be easily modified or replaced.

The committee eliminated two options after careful consideration. Currently, the system does not have any hard-to-staff positions or schools, so the current plan in place was determined to be more adequate. The committee also looked at the option of additional roles and responsibilities. The primary objection to this strategy was that the limited financial resources available, only a small percentage of teachers would benefit from such a plan.

The option the committee determined would best meet all of the above goals is a bonus pay system based on teacher performance. Under this plan all professional staff will be eligible to receive a bonus.

Staff Recommendation:

We recommend the approval of the Obion County Schools Differentiated Pay Plan