{"id":4858,"date":"2019-07-30T14:23:39","date_gmt":"2019-07-30T14:23:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prichard-backup.com\/July\/2019\/07\/30\/beyond-averages-exploring-why-teacher-salaries-vary-and-do-not-vary-in-kentucky\/"},"modified":"2022-09-27T19:49:14","modified_gmt":"2022-09-27T19:49:14","slug":"beyond-averages-exploring-why-teacher-salaries-vary-and-do-not-vary-in-kentucky","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prichard-backup.com\/July\/beyond-averages-exploring-why-teacher-salaries-vary-and-do-not-vary-in-kentucky\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond Averages: Exploring Why Teacher Salaries Vary (and Do Not Vary) in Kentucky"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row overlap=”top” overlap_distance=”25px” padding_size=”m-padding”][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”strategy4text2″ animation=”slideInRight”]Within Kentucky school districts,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0teacher salaries vary in predictable<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>transparent ways.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>T<\/span><\/span>eacher education level<\/span><\/span>s\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and years of experience predict salaries<\/span><\/span>\u00a0\u2013 by\u00a0<\/span><\/span>design (from Kentucky state statutes) and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>through<\/span><\/span>\u00a0decisions (from school board members in local districts).\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Over the past 20 years,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>numerous recommendations hav<\/span><\/span>e\u00a0<\/span><\/span>called<\/span><\/span>\u00a0for salaries to vary based on additional factors<\/span><\/span>, but these recommendations\u00a0<\/span><\/span>have so far not translated into\u00a0<\/span><\/span>substantial policy changes at the local level.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row overlap=”top” overlap_index=”50″ equal_height=”true” vertical_align=”middle” padding_size=”m-padding” el_class=”row2″ css=”.vc_custom_1564495125685{margin-top: 25px !important;}”][vc_column overlap=”left” overlap_distance=”200″ overlap_index=”300″][vc_column_text el_class=”strategy4text2″ animation=”slideInDown” animation_delay=”.5″]<\/p>\n

DESIGN<\/strong><\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text el_class=”strategy4text2″ animation=”slideInRight”]Kentucky\u00a0<\/span>law<\/span>\u00a0mandates that all school districts establish a minimum salary schedule based on teacher education and experience. It explicitly ties schedules to Kentucky\u2019s certification rank system, which differentiates teachers into three ranks (Rank I, II, and III) based on their graduate degrees and credits. The system includes two emergency certification ranks (Ranks IV and V) differentiated by college credit hours. The statute also ties the schedule to five steps that reflect\u00a0<\/span>bands<\/span><\/i>\u00a0of years of experience<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a00-3, 4-9, 10-14, 15-19, and 20\u00a0<\/span>and over<\/span>\u00a0(<\/span>KRS 157.390<\/span><\/a>)<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Each year, the Kentucky Department of Education publishes a\u00a0<\/span>minimum\u00a0<\/span>certified\u00a0<\/span>salary schedule<\/span><\/a>\u00a0based on this structure.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kentucky\u00a0<\/span>employs one<\/span>\u00a0widespread\u00a0<\/span>policy strategy that goes beyond<\/span>\u00a0th<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0traditional step-and-lane system<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Kentucky law requires\u00a0<\/span>a $2,000 increase\u00a0<\/span>in base pay for all teachers who have attained\u00a0<\/span>National Board<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>c<\/span>ertification<\/span>\u00a0(<\/span>KRS 157.395<\/span><\/a>)<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>(<\/span>The state reimburses districts\u00a0<\/span>for this additional compensation\u00a0<\/span>through the state\u2019s SEEK K-12 funding formula.<\/span>)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row overlap=”top” overlap_distance=”100px” overlap_index=”50″ equal_height=”true” vertical_align=”middle” padding_size=”m-padding” css=”.vc_custom_1558666565439{margin-top: 25px !important;}”][vc_column overlap=”left” overlap_distance=”200″ overlap_index=”300″][vc_column_text el_class=”strategy4text2″ animation=”slideInDown” animation_delay=”.5″]<\/p>\n

DECISIONS<\/strong><\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text el_class=”strategy4text2″ animation=”slideInRight”]With these salary amounts set as a floor, each school\u00a0<\/span>board\u00a0<\/span>establishes it<\/span>s own district<\/span>\u00a0single salary schedule. These are also called \u201cstep-and-lane\u201d schedules. Most school districts have schedules that include a \u201cstep\u201d increase for each year of experience, and most include annual step increases beyond 20 years. Some schedules also include an additional \u201clane\u201d beyond a Rank I, for teachers with a doctoral degree.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The graph below shows how district<\/span>-level decisions about salary schedules can\u00a0<\/span>play out for teachers of various education and experience levels.\u00a0<\/span>Clearly, the pattern differs for those in rural districts versus urban districts!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row overlap=”top” overlap_distance=”100px” overlap_index=”50″ equal_height=”true” vertical_align=”middle” padding_size=”m-padding” el_class=”row2″ css=”.vc_custom_1558665176081{margin-top: 25px !important;}”][vc_column overlap=”left” overlap_distance=”200″ overlap_index=”300″][vc_column_text el_class=”strategy4text2″ animation=”slideInDown” animation_delay=”.5″]<\/p>\n

Teacher Salary \u2013 Variation by Education and Experience, Selected Districts, 2018-19<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_single_image alignment=”center” image=”8671″ animation=”slideInRight” animation_delay=”0.8″ el_class=”shadowphoto”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row overlap=”top” overlap_distance=”125px” overlap_index=”50″ equal_height=”true” vertical_align=”middle” padding_size=”m-padding” css=”.vc_custom_1564496620262{margin-top: 25px !important;}”][vc_column overlap=”left” overlap_distance=”200″ overlap_index=”300″][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text el_class=”strategy4text2″ animation=”slideInRight”]For the most part,<\/span>\u00a0within<\/span>\u00a0in any district, teachers who have the same education and experience have the same salary. Teachers may<\/span>, however,<\/span>\u00a0receive supplemental pay for special duties on top of their teaching responsibilities, such as serving as a department chair, mentoring, or sponsoring an athletic team or non-athletic extracurricular activity.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Across the nation,\u00a0<\/span>school districts have used strategies to go beyond the traditional salary schedule, offering strategic compensation for teachers based on their characteristics or the characteristics of the school in which they\u00a0<\/span>teach<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>These strategies respond to problems such as finding qualified candidates to fill vacancies, damaging teacher turnover, and persistent inequities across schools.\u00a0<\/span>These may be time-limited bonuses or increases to base pay. These characteristics may include the following:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n