Board approves changes to TLC program for 2022-23

proved a measure that would put the district’s current Teacher Leadership Plan on temporary hold.
Superintendent Ron Lorenz said the district, as well as others across the state, are in a very volatile job market, and in light of current staffing and support needs, it was difficult to keep pulling teachers out of classrooms when they needed the best people they could have in the classrooms.
“The Teacher Leadership and Compensation committee is urging that we implement an amendment to the 2022-23 plan, and that will significantly expand the number of TLC positions and the amounts of the stipends,” Lorenz explained.
Lorenz said the positions of teaching and learning specialist, technology strategist, and innovation and design leads would be suspended, and put back in the classrooms and paying them with general funds.
“From there, we will take the TLC money that is paying those salaries this year and distribute it more widely. But as we struggle to fill teacher vacancies, we just can’t justify those full-release positions when the people in those positions would be better suited in the classroom,” commented Lorenz.
While the full-time positions are suspended, a number of temporary positions will be created, including two assessment leads per building, with a stipend of $10,000, 10 elementary and seven secondary instructional leads, with a $10,000 stipend, and 10 mentor teachers total, with a stipend of $5,000. The majority would stay at Inman Elementary due to the number of new teachers in the building.
Student interventionist stipends will increase to $4,000, intervention leads to $5,000, and the TLC coordinator to $10,000.
“The funding is state money, so we have it, it’s just a matter of how we’re allocating it, so there will be no additional financial burden on the district due to the temporary measure.
“We’re hoping that this will help attract more people to the TLC program, because we’re going to need those people to support the new teachers coming in. Staff with current multi-year contracts will have preference over the positions, but the positions will be open to everyone, and we’re not looking to displace anyone,” Lorenz stated.
The changes would begin with the 2022-23 school year, and as of now, is intended to be temporary.
The board approved the change to the district’s TLC program.
In other business, the board:
• Approved open enrollment requests for Linde French, Cameo French, Caleb Nagunst, Haley Nagunst, Ezra Shipp, Crew DeMarce, Carter Skalberg, Abel Williams, Brody Ebrecht, Angel Hummel, and Ethan Hummel, from Red Oak to the Stanton School District for the 2022-23 school year.
• Approved open enrollment requests for Matthew Utecht, Payton Harvey, Lucy DeMasi and Geno DeMasi from Red Oak to the CAM Community School District.
• Approved an open enrollment request for Zeke Polsley from Red Oak to the Essex School District for the 2022-23 school year.
• Approved open enrollment requests from Zaden Beacham and Jailyn Beacham from Red Oak to the Shenandoah Community School District for the 2022-23 school year.