Listening tour stops scheduled Benton, Rock Valley, and Southeast Polk Community School Districts
(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds will visit three Iowa school districts this month to learn more about how the first year of Iowa's new Teacher Leadership and Compensation System has gone, starting with the Benton Community School District today.
Iowa's Teacher Leadership and Compensation System is the centerpiece of Iowa's landmark 2013 education reform package. It is being phased in over three years, with a price tag of $150 million annually when fully in place in 2016-17. Iowans agreed to make this investment because it's critical to restore our schools to best in the nation and give students a globally competitive education.
Better utilizing the expertise of many of Iowa's top teachers in new roles will help schools improve instruction and raise achievement. Those new roles include instructional coaches, mentors and model teachers. With higher expectations for all students, teacher leaders support the more demanding work teachers must do by analyzing data, fine tuning lessons and co-teaching.
Benton is among the first 39 school districts, with about a third of enrollment statewide, to adopt teacher leadership systems this school year. Another 76 school districts, with about a third of students statewide, will adopt teacher leadership systems in 2015-16. The goal is for all remaining districts to have their teacher leadership systems in place in 2016-17.
"We are confident that this unprecedented collaboration by teacher leaders, teachers and school administrators will transform education across Iowa," said Branstad. "Broad, bipartisan agreement in the Legislature allowed us to create the most extensive teacher leadership system in the nation."
"One of the biggest selling points for new Iowa's Teacher Leadership and Compensation System is that it will do more to attract and retain highly effective teachers," said Reynolds. "It is changing the culture of schools with more opportunities for ongoing professional development right in the classroom."
In addition to Benton, the governor and lt. governor will visit the Rock Valley and Southeast Polk Community School Districts.
The following teacher leadership listening tour stops are open to the media:
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
11 a.m. Benton County Teacher Leadership Presentation
Atkins Elementary Center - Teacher Leadership Center
217 Fourth Ave.
Atkins, IA
Wednesday, April 22, 2014
12:30 p.m. Sioux County Teacher Leadership Presentation
Rock Valley Community School District Library
1712 20th Ave.
Rock Valley, IA
Note: A tour of Rocket Manufacturing will follow
Monday, April 27, 2015
7:30 a.m. Polk County Teacher Leadership Presentation
Southeast Polk Junior High School Orchestra Room
8325 Northeast University Ave.
Pleasant Hill, IA
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