MUSD board discusses change in performance pay

The Maricopa Unified School District Governing Board has discussed a proposed change to how to allocate its pay-for-performance system for teachers.

Human Resources Director Tom Beckett explained a new law covering the proposition 301 pay-for-performance plan and suggested the district combine its teacher evaluations and the 301 performance pay.

Currently the decision as to whether a teacher receives the full performance bonus at the end of the year is based on such criteria as student achievement, surveys, attendance and teacher attendance at school events. It has no teacher evaluation from the district as a component, Beckett said.

Passed in 2000, Proposition 301 created a funding stream for Arizona teachers from sales tax revenue. The intent of the funding was to increase salaries, increase accountability among education institutions and reward high-performance teachers.

Performance pay accounts for 40 percent of the funds additional monies.

According to the Arizona Revised Statute 15-977 (click here to see the statute online: http://www.azleg.state.az.us/ars/15/00977.htm),“Beginning in the school year 2014-2015, the individual teacher performance component should account for 33 percent of the 40 percent allocation for teacher compensation based on performance and employment-related expenses.”

With this proposed change, teacher’s ratings in their annual performance review will determine how much they get out of the fund allocated for performance from Prop 301. There are four possible ratings a teacher can receive in their annual performance review which are highly-effective, effective, partially effective and ineffective.

“We feel like we’re moving in the right direction and that the instrument is going to be a pretty accurate determination for who qualifies for what particular portion of this money,” Beckett said.

Of the 283 employees affected by these performance pay funds, 226 received full amount available for the 2013-2014 school year, which was $2,874.05.

This proposed change will go to committee and administrative approval on Aug. 1. Teachers will vote from Aug. 13 to 17, and a final governing board vote will occur on Aug. 27.

Board President Torri Anderson referenced the requirement that 70 percent of the teachers must approve the plan and asked Beckett what would happen if the change wasn’t approved by the teachers.

“We would have to come up with a new 301 plan because the 301 plan is the only thing that ties to that vote at this time,” Beckett said.***ADVERTISEMENT***