Literacy Teachers deserve incentivized pay, too

One aspect of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is a $10,000 salary enhancement for teachers who have earned National Board Certification. This enhancement, however, is not for all AACPS teachers. As National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT), we value the recursive processes of assessment, instruction, re-assessing and using this knowledge to support our understanding of each student we help. As leaders in our buildings, Literacy Teachers are often sought as a resource by classroom teachers and administrators.

Having a National Board Certified Literacy teacher in your building means these stakeholders, as well as families, will get the very best. Many of my NBCT Literacy Teacher colleagues have gone back to the classroom. This is wonderful for the few students they reach, but having a NBCT as a Literacy Teacher means their expertise reaches more than a class. In my school, I have four Intervention groups and go into three classrooms. I reach about 25% of the students in my school. If that is not considered a “teacher” I am not sure what is.

Currently, the position of Literacy Teacher is not considered as “teacher” and as such is exempt from the salary enhancement. My fear for AACPS is that the literacy leaders of the building will be less prepared than the teachers for whom they are a resource.

In my position I am the Teacher in Charge when my principal is out (we don’t have an assistant principal) and a School Testing Coordinator. I meet with Intervention groups, support parents, support teachers in classrooms, coach teachers and facilitate Collaborative Planning.

I urge the AACPS Board of Education and all responsible stakeholders to take our work into consideration. Literacy Teachers deserve to be treated equitably. Shouldn’t Literacy Teachers deserve the same incentivized pay as the classroom teachers they guide?

— Jennifer Boswell, Pasadena