The most important in-school factor contributing to student success is the teacher. The world’s best performing education systems consider teaching a profession, which not everyone can or should do. It requires a high level of personal commitment, and some might even say it is a calling. Professions are also selective, have quality pre-service training which includes practical experience, and an ongoing commitment to mastering the art of the work over a period of years or even decades.
Jeffco Public Schools commits to this professional model of teaching and in doing so, also commits to treating our professionals with respect and dignity. The best instructional decisions for students happen close to the work, which is why our professional model of teaching must also empower educators to make key decisions about instructional approaches, curricular resources, and lessons. We must empower and support our educators to take charge of their own professional learning, and continue to refine intentional systems of peer feedback, collaboration, and support.
In committing to a professional model of teaching, we must also compensate our educators as the knowledge-workers they are. People working in education are primarily interested in helping students and their community, but they also must consider financial realities like everyone else. As a system, we must commit to paying our teachers (and all our employees) a fair, livable, and reasonable wage so we can recruit talented educators for Jeffco as well as retain the great talent we already have.
Theory of Action
IF we implement school-specific criteria, and attract, hire, and retain educators THEN all Jeffco schools will have classroom teachers prepared to transform student task.
SMART Goal
- Recruitment: By 2021 the average number of highly-matched applicants by school-specific criteria for each teaching job opening will be a minimum 10:1 (10 candidates to 1 opening).
- Selection/Hiring: By 2021/22 the average Jeffco starting teacher step placement (average step placement of all hires in a single year) will increase by one-half step.
- Compensation: By 2021/22 the average Jeffco teacher salary will be within 5% of similar front range districts.
- Retention: By 2021/22 Jeffco will have less than 10% turnover rate of on-going classroom teachers.
Tactic Team
TBD
Stocktakes
Professional Model of Teaching Stocktake_4.9.2018_
Professional Model of Teaching Stocktake _ 11.1.2018_
Professional Model of Teaching Stocktake 12.18.19