Cost Considerations & Teacher Payments

Collaborative Planning: Cost Considerations & Teacher Payments

What is the rate of pay for collaborative planning time?
Will funds for collaborative planning time be taken from the school budget?
How will teachers be paid for the 12 hours of collaborative planning time in 2007-2008?
What documentation of attendance is required for collaborative planning time activities?
Are all teachers required to participate in the 12 hours of collaborative planning?
Are teachers expected to notify the principal in advance if they cannot attend a session scheduled before or after a regular workday?
What are the consequences for missing a collaborative planning session?
What if a teacher repeatedly misses collaborative planning sessions without providing the principal with a valid excuse prior to the sessions?

What is the rate of pay for collaborative planning time?: For each hour of collaborative planning time held before or after a workday, teachers will be paid the part-time certificated rate.

For collaborative planning time hours held on a Saturday or other non-workdays, teachers will be paid their individual hourly rate.
Will funds for collaborative planning time be taken from the school budget?: For 2007-08, district funds have been set aside to pay all teachers a total of 12 hours at the part-time rate.

Schools that hold collaborative planning time on a Saturday or other non-work days will receive district funds for payments up to the part-time rate. These schools will pay the difference between the individual hourly rate and the part-time certificated rate.
How will teachers be paid for the 12 hours of collaborative planning time in 2007-2008?: All teachers will automatically receive two hours of pay at the part-time certificated rate for collaborative planning time on the first paycheck during November, January, February, March, April and May.

The six two-hour payments will again be made systemwide regardless of when the 12 hours of collaborative planning activities take place during 2007-08.
What documentation of attendance is required for collaborative planning time activities?: Collaborative planning time, whether it is held after school or on a non- work day, must be documented on a sign-in sheet that contains the date, time, duration (one or two hours), and a brief description of the topics discussed. This sheet must be signed by all employees attending the session.
Are all teachers required to participate in the 12 hours of collaborative planning?: Yes. By contract, all teachers are required to participate in two hours of collaborative planning time in each of six months – somewhat similar to the longstanding contractual requirement to attend faculty meetings.
Are teachers expected to notify the principal in advance if they cannot attend a session scheduled before or after a regular workday?: Yes. Just like missing a faculty meeting, teachers should let their principal know the reason they need to be excused - prior to the session.
What are the consequences for missing a collaborative planning session?: Teachers who do not attend a collaborative planning session should have the proper amount of pay deducted for the time they miss.
What if a teacher repeatedly misses collaborative planning sessions without providing the principal with a valid excuse prior to the sessions?: Principals should consider a pattern of unexcused absences from planning sessions when evaluating the collaboration expectation of the teacher’s performance. The MPS “Instructional Observation Form” includes collaboration as one of the 11 expectations to be evaluated. A pattern of non-participation should be a high concern if the teacher does not engage in other collaborative opportunities that focus on improving instruction.

Principals should make the faculty aware of their participation expectations at the start of the school year.

Questions?

If teachers have further questions about collaborative planning, they should contact an MTEA staff member at 414-259-1990.

If principals have questions, they should contact the MPS Labor Relations Department at 475-8280.