NC commission narrowly backs call to change how state’s teachers are licensed and paid
North Carolina took a first step Thursday toward potentially switching to a model that pays teachers based on their performance instead of their experience.
The Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission (PEPSC) voted 9-7 on Thursday to back a “Blueprint for Action” that summarizes their work to change how teachers are licensed and paid. It’s a procedural step toward getting the State Board of Education and the General Assembly to make changes in state laws and policies.
PEPSC is still developing the details of the new teacher license and compensation model. The latest draft calls for using test scores as one of the ways to measure teacher effectiveness.
“I don’t want anyone to get concerned that this is something that is going to be implemented in the next three weeks and that’s just the way it is,” said Aaron Fleming, PEPSC vice chairman and superintendent of Harnett County Schools.
A controversial vote
But the potential switch is so controversial that even the procedural vote was initially tied. PEPSC had to get two members who were previously attending the online meeting to return to cast their votes.
Allison Schafer, attorney for the State Board of Education, said it was fair to call back into the meeting people who were unable to vote because they had technical issues.
“I am concerned about this becoming a model that relies too heavily on standardized tests as an outcome measure of effectiveness,” said Scott Elliott, a PEPSC member and superintendent of Watuaga County Schools. He voted no.
“I’m not sure that the Blueprint for Action adequately communicates that we want to be more expansive in our views of it,” Elliott said.
In a statement Thursday, the North Carolina Association of Educators focused on how narrow the vote was, saying the Blueprint for Action falls short of creating a system that respects teachers’ expertise.
“We know that our students are more likely to succeed when they have more experienced teachers,” Tamika Walker Kelly, president of NCAE, said in the statement. “Investing in those teachers will attract new candidates to North Carolina public schools and create a path toward growth and success from the mountains to the coast.
“NCAE will continue our work to urge the General Assembly and State Board of Education to reject any changes to licensure that will harm our public school workers, their students and our communities.”
Multi-level license system
Under the current system, the starting base salary for North Carolina teachers is $37,000 and rises based on experience to $54,000 on the state salary schedule. Teachers can earn more money from additional local and state pay.
The draft PEPSC model would move the state to a new multi-level license system.
▪ Apprentice teachers would make $30,000. It’s meant for people who may only have an associate’s degree.
▪ License I teachers would make $38,000. These people have a bachelor’s degree and are working with an education program to become fully licensed.
▪ License II teachers would make $40,000 as they work toward becoming fully licensed.
▪ License III teachers would start at $45,000. This is where new teachers with education degrees who’ve passed their licensure exams would be expected to land.
▪ License IV is for “expert teachers” who’ve demonstrated their effectiveness. Their proposed minimum salary is $56,000. They’d also be eligible for stipends of $5,000 or $10,000 a year if they take on additional duties such as mentoring other teachers.
PEPSC wants state lawmakers to restore extra pay for teachers who have master’s degrees and to continue to provide additional pay for educators who achieve national board certification.
PEPSC also recommends state lawmakers provide at least a 1% cost of living annual increase. For instance, a person who has been a License IV teacher for 25 years would get a minimum of $71,816 on the proposed salary schedule.
Pay based on performance
The model would require teachers to demonstrate their effectiveness to move to the next license level. Effectiveness would be based on student growth on state tests, reviews by their principal, student surveys or other measures that would be developed.
Critics such as NCAE say it’s a merit pay system that won’t accurately reflect what teachers are doing and will cause people to quit the profession.
“Teachers do so much more than a test score could ever show,” Ada Goren, a Winston-Salem/Forsyth County teacher said in written comments to PEPSC. “Having teachers vie for the best scores encourages competition, not cooperation among teachers.
“It encourages teaching to the test, instead of making sure students receive ALL the content and skills they need to be successful.”
PEPSC members repeatedly said it’s not merit pay because there will be multiple ways teachers can pick from for measuring their effectiveness. Supporters of the new model say it will help improve student learning and recruit more people during a time of acute teacher shortages.
“It is crucial that we get this right, and I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that we are on the right path to do so,” said State Superintendent Catherine Truitt, who is also a PEPSC member.
PEPSC recommends a “hold harmless” provision where teachers would not see their pay go down if they’d make less under the new model.
‘Time is of the essence’
Previously, PEPSC had been looking at adopting the model on Thursday so that the State Board of Education could consider it in December.
But Van Dempsey, chairman of PEPSC, said Thursday the next step in developing a new licensure system is for PEPSC to recommend a change to the current system. He said then the State Board of Education could approve the request, which would allow PEPSC to develop a new plan.
As part of PEPSC’s request, it approved a Blueprint of Action that includes bullet points such as building a compensation model “that attracts and retains people in the profession.” The blueprint also calls for securing funding to support a new model.
PEPSC asked the state board to use the blueprint to determine what statutes and policies would be impacted by the commission’s work. The vote also asks the state board to give direction to PEPSC so that it can develop language to implement any changes.
“One of the purposes of this document is to communicate to the State Board action that we need on their part so that we can and do continue this work,” said Dempsey, who is also dean of UNC Wilmington’s Watson College of Education.
During Thursday’s deadlock, it was suggested that PEPSC delay the vote by a month. But Truitt said they can’t afford to wait.
“I think the last thing that any of us want is for the General Assembly to move ahead without us, and that is why time is of the essence,” Truitt said.
This story was originally published November 10, 2022 at 2:08 PM with the headline "NC commission narrowly backs call to change how state’s teachers are licensed and paid."
