Recommendations from a state work group last week call the Minnesota to combine the Teacher Development and Evaluation (TDE) and Q Comp statutes. The Minnesota Department of Education work group on “Teacher Development and Evaluation/Alternative Teacher Professional Pay System Alignment” presented their recommendations to the House Education Finance Committee.
Merging the 2011 evaluation law with Q Comp would create a single fund to pay for a system of teacher evaluations:
- Districts would receive $169 per student from the state
- Districts would be able to enact a levy of up to $91 per student if they entered into an agreement with their teachers on a merit pay program
Rep. Yvonne Selcer (DFL – Minnetonka), who authored legislation last session creating this work group, spoke in support of the proposal.
Education Minnesota also spoke in support of the proposal, stating the plan could eliminate the funding disparities among districts and will create the right environment for teachers to continually improve their practice. They noted that for the proposal to work in a state like ours with a unique blend of urban core, suburban, exurban, and rural schools, the proposal needs to be considered in its entirety.
Many rural schools lack the funding to pay for the teacher evaluations that are required under the 2011 teacher evaluation law. Furthermore, less than 15 percent of rural districts participate in the Q Comp program, which includes a merit pay program financed with state aid and a local levy option.
Merging the current Teacher Development and Evaluation program with Q Comp program and expanding funding to districts currently not in the Q Comp program” is part of the MREA 2015 Platform.
Legislation has not been introduced in either body regarding the proposal.
Ben Barton, Superintendent of Caledonia, served as the MREA Representative on the Alignment of TDE and QComp Working Group. Learn more about the work group.