284.7 - IOWA TEACHER CAREER PATH. - Iowa Statutes

284.7 IOWA TEACHER CAREER PATH. To promote continuous improvement in Iowa's quality teaching workforce and to give Iowa teachers the opportunity for career recognition that reflects the various roles teachers play as educational leaders, an Iowa teacher career path is established for teachers employed by school districts. A school district shall use funding calculated and paid pursuant to section 257.10, subsection 9, to raise teacher salaries to meet the requirements of this section. The Iowa teacher career path and salary minimums are as follows: 1. The following career path levels are established and shall be implemented in accordance with this chapter: a. Beginning teacher. (1) A beginning teacher is a teacher who meets the following requirements: (a) Has successfully completed an approved practitioner preparation program as defined in section 272.1 or holds an intern teacher license issued by the board of educational examiners under chapter 272. (b) Holds an initial or intern teacher license issued by the board of educational examiners. (c) Participates in the beginning teacher mentoring and induction program as provided in this chapter. (2) Beginning July 1, 2008, the minimum salary for a beginning teacher shall be twenty-eight thousand dollars. b. Career teacher. (1) A career teacher is a teacher who holds a statement of professional recognition issued by the board of educational examiners under chapter 272 or who meets the following requirements: (a) Has successfully completed the beginning teacher mentoring and induction program and has successfully completed a comprehensive evaluation as provided in this chapter. (b) Is reviewed by the school district as demonstrating the competencies of a career teacher. (c) Holds a valid license issued by the board of educational examiners. (d) Participates in teacher professional development as set forth in this chapter and demonstrates continuous improvement in teaching. (2) Beginning July 1, 2008, the minimum salary for a first-year career teacher shall be thirty thousand dollars. 2. It is the intent of the general assembly to establish and require the implementation of and provide for the implementation of the following additional career path levels: a. Career II teacher. (1) A career II teacher is a teacher who meets the requirements of subsection 1, paragraph "b", has met the requirements established by the school district that employs the teacher, and is evaluated by the school district as demonstrating the competencies of a career II teacher. The teacher shall have successfully completed a performance review in order to be classified as a career II teacher. (2) It is the intent of the general assembly that the participating district shall establish a minimum salary for a career II teacher that is at least five thousand dollars greater than the minimum career teacher salary. It is further intended that the district shall adopt a plan that facilitates the transition of a career teacher to a career II level. b. Advanced teacher. (1) An advanced teacher is a teacher who meets the following requirements: (a) Receives the recommendation of the review panel that the teacher possesses superior teaching skills and that the teacher should be classified as an advanced teacher. (b) Holds a valid license from the board of educational examiners. (c) Participates in teacher professional development as outlined in this chapter and demonstrates continuous improvement in teaching. (d) Possesses the skills and qualifications to assume leadership roles. (2) It is the intent of the general assembly that the participating district shall establish a minimum salary for an advanced teacher that is at least thirteen thousand five hundred dollars greater than the minimum career teacher salary. In conjunction with the development of the review panel pursuant to section 284.9, the department shall make recommendations to the general assembly by January 1, 2002, regarding the appropriate district-to-district recognition for advanced teachers and methods that facilitate the transition of a teacher to the advanced level. 3. A teacher shall be promoted one level at a time and a teacher promoted to the next career level shall remain at that level for at least one year before requesting promotion to the next career level. 4. A teacher employed in a district shall not receive less compensation in that district than the teacher received in the school year preceding participation, as set forth in section 284.4 due to implementation of this chapter. A teacher who achieves national board for professional teaching standards certification and meets the requirements of section 256.44 shall continue to receive the award as specified in section 256.44 in addition to the compensation set forth in this section. 5. A school district that is unable to meet the provisions of subsection 1 with funds calculated and paid to the school district pursuant to section 257.10, subsection 9, may request a waiver from the department to use funds calculated and paid under section 257.10, subsection 11, to meet the provisions of subsection 1 if the difference between the funds calculated and paid pursuant to section 257.10, subsection 9, and the amount required to comply with subsection 1 is not less than ten thousand dollars. The department shall consider the average class size of the school district, the school district's actual unspent balance from the preceding year, and the school district's current financial position.          Section History: Recent Form 2001 Acts, ch 161, §8; 2001 Acts, ch 177, §5, 6, 15; 2002 Acts, ch 1152, §15, 16; 2003 Acts, ch 180, §43--46; 2006 Acts, ch 1182, §15--21; 2007 Acts, ch 108, §24--30; 2008 Acts, ch 1181, §77--80; 2009 Acts, ch 68, §8; 2009 Acts, ch 177, §37--39 Referred to in § 284.2, 284.3A, 284.8