EDLD+5342+Week+4+Part+3+Differentiated+Staffing

EDLD 5342 Week Part 3

According to the lecture this week, Dr. Lu Stephens stated, “Differentiated staffing is a concept that proposes specialized use of personnel. We tend not to be that specialized as public school teachers or administrators. Differentiated staffing could create greater efficiency in a school district by assigning teachers and other educators different responsibilities based on carefully prepared definitions of many teaching functions. It would analyze essential tasks and create a means to implement new educational roles for teaching the students. The results could create significant operational cost savings for a school district.” Interestingly enough, this has been a focus in our district that has gotten keener and keener resulting in quite a few changes for the upcoming school year in staffing and scheduling. The superintendent with his team in the cabinet and budget office changed the way teaching personnel are going to be paid. For at least the last 15 years, the high schools have been on a 4 x 4 block scheduling pattern. When comparing this to an 8 period day, the 4 x 4 uses more personnel to implement. Teachers were also receiving one 90 minute period a day. On A Days, this period was designated for conference, on B Day, it was designated for specific work with at-risk students. This has actually resulted in teachers having twice as many minutes in planning as required by law. The B Day period was funded by the State Compensatory Education Allotment and accounted for 13% of each teacher’s salary. This coming school year, the superintendent not only eliminated the 4 x 4, but the extra conference period and a “skinny” period put into place that every teacher was required to teach for 20 minutes to serve the at-risk provision in the ARMI funds utilized to pay the 13% of teacher salaries. Two new positions have been created to address at-risk populations on each campus utilizing the same State Comp Ed funds since they will not be spread throughout the entire teaching staff. No teachers will have seven classes per day with one conference period. This configuration is much easier for scheduling as well. Since more periods are available, classes are more easily balanced, including CWC sections. In an effort to assist teachers and students to prepare better for the STAAR, a decision has been made to assign only one to two preps to each teacher enabling them to specialize. This kind of differentiation is hoped to provide deeper, more complete preparation for students and make teachers more comfortable in directing more focused instruction. The two newly created positions eliminate a number of initiatives for instructional coaches at each department. One position will be responsible for individualized instruction for at-risk students. The other position will be an instructional coach for all teachers. It is thought that these changes will add more quality instruction as they differentiate for teachers as well as students.