By Loyd Cook
The Corsicana ISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously for a new pay scale for the 2008-09 school year, one that better addresses the middle and top level teachers on the step schedule.
The approval came during the board’s meeting Monday.
Don Denbow, CISD superintendent, said it was an important step.
“They’re the ones in the front lines,” Denbow said. “We’d like to do more ... but this is the most we can do year.”
Last year, the district addressed the salaries toward brand new teachers as it attempted to address “the youngest and brightest” teachers coming out of school, deputy superintendent Chip Curington said.
“We again did some work this year on the front end,” Curington said, but noted those increases were much smaller. “But this year we worked more on the middle and top ends of the teacher scales.”
The raises are more toward the last few steps in the 23-step pay scale used by the CISD, jumping $500 for Step 20, about $700 on Step 21, nearly $900 at Step 22 and nearly $1,100 for the final step, Step 23.
Curington said for years 24 and above of experience, the CISD is adding $750 per year.
“I’m thrilled to see that we’re doing more for our more seasoned teachers ... to make it more palatable,” said trustee Kerri Anderson Donica, a sentiment echoed by board president Terry Seth.
Curington did his own “echoing,” mirroring comments that Denbow later noted.
“We’d love to do more,” the deputy superintendent said. “But we’re looking at the costs of fuel, of transportation, of the cost of food ... all you have to do is fill up your car or go to the grocery store to see what we’re looking at.”
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Loyd Cook may be reached via e-mail at lcook@corsicanadailysun.com
CISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING BRIEFS
Carroll teachers talk about seminar
Lizzie O’Neal, Jeanetta Gross and Meredith Boyde, members of the Carroll Elementary faculty, talked about attending the Ron Clark Academy seminar in Atlanta, Georgia recently. They told CISD trustees at Monday’s meeting about some of the unique methods used at the academy that teaches underprivileged kids. “We don’t get to see other teachers teach ... that’s invaluable to us,” said Gross.
Amendments OK’d for CMS cheerleaders
Trustees approved three amendments to the Collins Middle School cheerleader constitution. Two of the three changes remove caps on the number of squad members for the seventh grade and eighth grade squads while preserving the scores they must earn during tryouts. The other change deletes a tiebreaker clause.
HSEP application approved
Trustee approved putting in an application to the Texas Education Agency, asking that the district be allowed to implement its own High School Equivalency Program (GED) for next year. Dr. Keith Moore, principal of CHS, said it will allow the district to address those high school students still in the ninth grade, a couple of years older than their classmates, and having only a few high school credits. He said there are still some logistical issues to address — such as space for the teaching, the teachers, and some other items — but the first step is to get approval from TEA.
