School board hears about continuing recruitment efforts Monday
ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
USD 480 will be continuing its recruiting efforts with a new program approved at the USD 480 school board’s most recent meeting Monday evening.
“This is actually a two-part approval – the first is the pay scale, we want to make it one unified pay scale for all pre-certified staff like the ones in our Grow Your Own program and similar staff members,” Director of Recruitment and Education Ashley Kappelmann said. “What is in place now, which the board approved previously, is an interim pay scale, an advanced student teaching rate, and an apprenticeship pay scale. This would take everything and put it on one pay scale so it’s unified and more predictable for those who are going through the Grow Your Own program. It also includes, on that scale, the benefits and other similar information, which really helps with clarity and predictability and consistency so everything is there in writing and everyone knows when they sign up exactly what their progression would look like. The second part of this is putting together a handbook for what we’re calling SEED, which was approved by the board in December 2022. This would be taking up to $300,000, or up to $5,000 per year, for pre-certified staff and give them financial assistance and support in becoming certified. The goal of that handbook is to provide a lot more accountability and a lot more structure to what we’re doing so again, we’re consistent and predictable and equitable so someone doesn’t go to the wrong person with a question and they get a wrong answer.”
