File:  GCBA-R

STAFF SALARY SCHEDULES

Salaries of Certified Personnel

Education Supplements

Teachers who hold a master’s or other graduate degree shall receive a salary supplement in an amount to be determined each year by the school board.  The amount of the supplement depends on two general factors:  whether the teacher received an education supplement from the Buena Vista City School District (BVCSD) in the 2003–2004 school year and whether the graduate degree is in the teacher’s area of teaching responsibility.  Section A gives the formula for calculating education supplements of teachers, librarians, and guidance counselors who received them from the BVCSD in 2003–2004.  Section B gives the formula for calculating education supplements of teachers, librarians, and guidance counselors hired by the BVCSD after the 2003–2004 school year.

A.              Employees who received an education supplement from the BVCSD for a graduate degree in the 2003–2004 school year shall receive an education supplement for a master’s at the amount approved for an in-field master’s degree in Section B. For example, if the school board approves a $4,000.00 supplement through the 2007–2008 school year for an in-field master’s degree in accordance with the formula of Section B, those employees who received master’s degree supplements in 2003–2004 from the BVCSD shall, regardless of whether the degrees are ‘in-field’ as specified under Section B, receive $4,000.00 as an education supplement.

Employees who in 2003–2004 who held a Ph.D., Ed.D., Ed.S., Advanced Professional Certificate (APC), or a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) and who received an education supplement for that degree or certificate in that year from the BVCSD shall continue to receive supplements at their 2003-2004 amounts with increases to be determined by the school board.

1.         Any teacher presently employed on or before the 2003–2004 school year who had been accepted into a master’s degree program before March 1, 2004 but who had not completed the degree by that date is eligible to receive an education supplement in the amount specified for in-field degrees in Section B once the degree is completed regardless of the degree being ‘in-field’ or out of field.

2.         Any teacher presently employed on or before the 2003–2004 school year who had been accepted into a doctoral program before March 1, 2004 but who had not completed the degree by that date are eligible to receive an educational supplement in the amount specified for in-field degrees in Section B once the degree is completed, whether the degree is ‘in-field’ or out of field. 

3.         Any teacher who received a partial educational salary supplement from the BVCSD during the 2002–2003 school year for completed course work towards a degree will receive that same supplement amount through the end of the 2007–2008 school year or until the degree is completed which ever occurs first. If the degree is completed before the 2007-2008 school year the teacher is eligible for the amounts specified for ‘in-field’ degrees in Section B whether the degree is ‘in-field’ or out of field.

B.  The school board encourages teachers in the Buena Vista City School District to earn master’s degrees in their teaching fields.  Teachers hired for or after the 2004–2005 school year shall have their education supplements calculated as follows:  an in-field master’s degree shall receive double the amount given for an out-of-field master’s or doctoral degree, and an in-field doctoral degree shall receive $1,000.00 more than the amount given for an in-field master’s degree.  For example, if $2,000.00 is given for an out-of-field doctorate, $4,000.00 shall be given for an in-field master’s degree and $5,000.00 for an in-field doctorate.  Holders of a Ph.D., Ed.D., Ed.S., Advanced Professional Certificate (APC), or Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) shall receive supplements at the doctoral level.  The school board shall determine specific supplement amounts in accordance with this formula during the annual budget process.

      A degree or certificate is “in-field” if and only if it meets one of the following conditions:

1.         If the employee is a teacher, the degree is in the teacher’s area of teaching responsibility or is completely relevant, rather than partially relevant, to working with students of particular ages or needs.

a.         For kindergarten and pre-kindergarten teachers, in-field degrees include M.Ed. and M.T. degrees in curriculum and instruction, early childhood education, elementary education, and reading education, and the M.A. in teaching.

 b.         For teachers in grades 1–8, in-field degrees include M.Ed. and M.T. degrees in curriculum and instruction, elementary education (grades 1–6), English education, mathematics education, reading education, secondary education (grades 6–8), science education, and social studies education, as well as M.A. and M.S. degrees in teaching, liberal studies, and disciplines of the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics.

 c.         For teachers in grades 9–12, in-field degrees include M.Ed. and M.T. degrees in English education, mathematics education, science education, and social studies education, as well as M.A. and M.S. degrees in disciplines of the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics.  Graduate degrees in curriculum and instruction, liberal studies, secondary education, and teaching are in-field for grades 9–12 only if they include or are supplemented by at least 12 graduate semester hours in a content area taught in grades 9–12 in Buena Vista.  Teachers of history and the social sciences may satisfy the 12-hour content requirement by taking graduate courses in history and/or any of the related social science disciplines (geography, anthropology, psychology, political science, economics, and sociology).  Teachers of English may satisfy the 12-hour content requirement by taking graduate courses in English, literature, humanities, journalism, theatre arts, and/or speech.

 d.         For teachers of physical education, music, art, theater, industrial arts, or business, an in-field graduate degree is one in physical education, music, art, theater, industrial arts, or business, respectively.

 e.         For special education teachers, an in-field master’s degree is one in special education, communication disorders, or other developmental problems of children.

2.         If the employee is a librarian, the degree is in library science or reading education.

3.         If the employee is a guidance counselor, the degree is in school counseling.

For purposes of this policy, degrees in administration and supervision, educational psychology, educational research, foundations and policy, and higher education do not fall within any K–12 teacher’s area of teaching responsibility nor are they more than partially relevant to working with students of particular ages or needs.

If a question arises about whether an employee’s graduate degree or advanced certificate is in-field or out-of-field according to this policy, the matter shall be decided by the school board after receiving the superintendent’s recommendation and, if the employee wishes, an oral or written statement from the employee.  The board shall consider in such cases whether the employee has at least 12 graduate semester hours in his or her teaching field and/or another closely-related field, for example, in another discipline of the humanities if the employee teaches English.

As a general rule, the superintendent shall assign employees to teach or work within their graduate degree fields.  If, because of the temporary needs of the school district, the superintendent assigns an employee to teach or work outside of his or her graduate degree field when that degree is in a content area regularly taught in the BVCSD or is in special education, library science, or school counseling, the teacher’s education supplement shall not be decreased from the in-field amount and the assignment shall be considered temporary.  The teacher shall be reassigned to teach or work in his or her master’s degree field as soon as possible and no later than two years after the initial out-of-field assignment.  With administrative approval, a teacher may voluntarily choose to teach outside of his or her master’s degree field on a non-temporary basis, but the education supplement will then be at the level for out-of-field graduate degrees.  This paragraph regarding employee assignments does not pertain to those assigned to full-time administrative positions within the school district.

An employee who holds more than one graduate degree shall receive only one education supplement—the one for the degree that would bring him or her the highest supplement for which he or she is eligible under this policy.

Employees who earn their graduate degrees while employed by the BVCSD shall begin to receive their education supplements at the start of the semester or quarter following completion and receipt of the degree.  The supplement amount shall be in accordance with the section of this policy that is relevant to the employee’s circumstance and shall be prorated if the degree is received in the middle of the school year.

Salary Increments

Teachers who do not teach for a full school session, but who are contracted for a period exceeding eighty-five teaching days in any one school session, shall receive credit for a full year’s service on the salary schedule at the beginning of the next regular school session for which the teacher is employed.

Payment of Salaries

Teacher contract salaries will be paid in twelve (12) equal installments.  Full-time certified personnel shall receive one-twelfth the annual salary on the last working Friday or last working day of each month.  When a person is separated from employment in the system before the end of the contractual period, the terminal pay shall be computed and prorated on a per diem basis.

Deductions from Salary

No deductions shall be made from the salary of any employee except as required by state and federal law, conditions of employment, or as authorized by the individual and approved by the school board.  Payroll deduction is also available as authorized by the individual for group insurance, savings, tax shelter annuities, and charitable organizations.

Adopted:  April 13, 2004; REV:  1/24/05; August 26, 2010