School board to have workshop Jan. 9, will discuss merit-based pay policy

School board members listen to discussion at a meeting. School board president Tricia Hackett said the board will discuss the start of the Research-Based Inclusive System of Evaluation (RISE) program next school year at the Jan. 9 workshop. CAROLINE ZHANG / PHOTO

The school board will have a workshop on Jan. 9 to discuss the adoption of Research-Based Inclusive System of Evaluation (RISE), a teacher evaluation program, next school year. The district will start the program in response to state legislation last year that required schools to pay teachers and administrators based on evaluations of their performance.

Click here for the school board’s agenda for its Jan. 9 meeting.

According to school board president Tricia Hackett, the board will discuss how to use RISE to fit this district’s needs. It will define the criteria of the evaluations to be specific to Carmel Clay Schools. “For example, we need to define ‘teacher leadership,’” she said. “It will be different for teachers at different grade levels and schools.”

RISE will evaluate teachers on purposeful planning, effective instruction and teacher leadership, and evaluations will take place every year.

Hackett said RISE will impact the school board’s teacher contract negotiations next August. Salaries will now be based on teachers’ length of service and degrees, evaluations, leadership and student performance, instead of only on seniority. “It’ll be a difficult negotiation because so many things are new,” she said.

However, Hackett said that this semester will give teachers time to prepare for the RISE evaluations next year. “(Teachers) can use this semester to wrap up their professional development and try new methods in the classroom,” she said.

Senator and senior Alex Chong said that from students’ perspectives, it is good for the district to reevaluate how best to educate students. He said, “Students always change, classes always change, so I think it’s important to look at revising school goals, even if I don’t agree with the new system.”