Providing teachers more control over classroom decisions is far more financially effective and efficient than trying to find ways to boost teacher salaries.
If a teacher is choosing employment between two districts and District A gave each teacher a classroom budgeting tool that contained some funds for supplies, easy access to crowdfunding tools, additional funding that may originate from federal or local grants or PTA, and District B did not, what district do you think the teacher will choose to work for?
“A 10% increase in trust has the same effect as a 30% increase in pay,” writes Covey, Link, and Merrill. With the financial challenges facing school districts in every state across the country, investing in trust makes sound financial sense and more importantly is likely to increase teacher retention rate and be a competitive advantage for recruitment.
Teachers seek out districts and schools where faculty are trusted, respected, and appreciated. With the ever-increasing demands for accountability, following a common core curriculum, local and state mandates, teacher autonomy is a rare commodity. Yet giving teachers autonomy and agency over instructional decisions is arguably the most effective way for administrators and board members to let teachers know they are trusted, respected, and appreciated.
Read the rest of the article by Jamie Rosenberg & Max McGee over at the Ohio Association of School Business Officials website found here.