Newark Schools Distribute 1.3 Million in Bonuses to Teachers

Upholding its pledge to provide Newark students with an effective teacher in every classroom, Newark Public Schools (NPS) announced today that for the second consecutive year, it is issuing over $1.3 million in stipends to the district’s most effective teachers. In total, 202 teachers will receive one of four types of stipends, ranging from $5,000 to $12,500. Letters from Newark Public Schools, along with the checks, were issued on Friday, August 15.

“I am delighted to again celebrate the success of our most effective educators – those who are highly effective, those who have improved, and those who demonstrate excellence in serving students in greatest need of support,” Superintendent Cami Anderson stated. “As one community, we join together in saluting teachers who provide inspiration and guidance to tomorrow’s leaders. We remain committed to rewarding the hardest-working teachers across the district.”

Additionally, for the first time this year, 157 teachers will receive performance improvement stipends as recognition for progressing from a Partially Effective rating in the 2012-2013 school year to an Effective or Highly Effective rating in 2013-2014.

Having identified teacher retention and development a priority, NPS has retained a vast majority of its highest performers. 94 percent of the Highly Effective and Effective teachers stayed with the district from school year 2012-2013 to 2013-14, while 37 percent of the Ineffective teachers exited the district.

Althea McCloud, a special education teacher at Chancellor Avenue Elementary School, commented, “Recognition is the added bonus when you work passionately with your team all year to help students and teachers exceed their goals.”
This announcement finalizes the implementation of teacher evaluations in NPS for the 2013-2014 school year.

Following the November 2012 ratification of a landmark three-year teacher’s contract, NPS became New Jersey’s first school district to provide financial incentives based on classroom performance. Payments for highly effective teacher stipends were fully funded by the Foundation for Newark’s Future; this year’s contribution represents the second in a three-year commitment by the foundation to help reward and retain the district’s best educators.

“Great teachers change lives,” Kimberly McLain, President and CEO at Foundation for Newark’s Future said. “We are thrilled to play a role in rewarding Newark’s teachers for the life-changing work they do every day on behalf of Newark’s children.”

Teachers who are paid on the Universal Salary Scale and receive a Highly Effective rating on the Annual Summative Evaluation will earn a step on the salary scale for the following year and are eligible to receive bonuses of up to $12,500.

Specifically, the rewards will be distributed as follows:
· Teachers rated Highly Effective will receive $5,000
· Teachers rated Highly Effective and employed in a hard-to-staff subject will receive an additional $2,500, for a total bonus of $7,500
· Teachers rated Highly Effective and employed in one of the lowest quarter (bottom 25%) performing schools will receive an additional $5,000, for a total bonus of $10,000
· Teachers rated Highly Effective and employed in both a hard-to-staff subject and one of the lowest quarter, or bottom 25 percent, of performing schools will receive all three bonus categories for a total of $12,500

Information courtesy of Shauwea Hamilton, Newark Public Schools