Schools get grant money for math teachers
Published 9:09 pm Saturday, August 10, 2013
Suffolk Public Schools will receive $260,000 to provide bonuses to high school math and special education teachers whose students meet goals of increased scores, Gov. Bob McDonnell announced this week.
Suffolk is one of 13 school divisions that will split the $4.5 million pot of Strategic Compensation Grants funded by the General Assembly. McDonnell proposed the grant program as a means of encouraging school divisions to collaborate on compensation models that reward educators whose efforts result in meeting strategic goals.
Teachers in Suffolk would earn points on a system piloted in Salem. Points would be given out based on measurable objectives like students’ academic growth and attendance. More points mean more money, but no teacher could earn more than $5,000.
A committee with high school math teachers decided on the Salem model and developed the application for funding.
All 13 school divisions that applied were approved for funding.
“The beginning of the new school year will be especially exciting in these divisions as teachers collaborate to meet school- and division-level objectives for improving instruction and student outcomes,” Secretary of Education Laura Fornash said in a press release. “I commend the superintendents, school board members, principals and teachers in these divisions for their willingness to embrace innovation and reform.”
Other nearby cities, Chesapeake and Portsmouth, also were among the 13 to receive the incentives. Portsmouth also will use its incentives for math and special education teachers, while Chesapeake will hand its out to teacher coaches.