Charter board approves $1,000 ad pay for teachers who host student teachers

The Oasis Charter School Governing Board approved CSA Resolution 28-25 on Oct. 14 to create a $1,000 ad pay for teachers who host and complete mentoring requirements for student teachers.

Board members voted to carry the motion after a brief discussion and a staff presentation describing the new incentive. Christie Beliciotis, the school system human resources manager, said the pay is intended to increase the number of qualified host teachers and to encourage current staff to obtain the additional endorsements required to mentor student teachers. “Once they have met those requirements, then they would be have an opportunity to get the $1,000 ad pay,” Beliciotis said.

Beliciotis told the board the stipend is paid after host teachers complete specified mentoring duties during either a semester-long placement or a half-year placement and meet ongoing requirements working with the student teacher. Board members who spoke during the discussion supported the measure, noting the time and labor required to mentor new teachers.

The motion was moved and seconded on the consent agenda and carried; no recorded opposition was announced during the meeting.

The resolution was entered as item 9a on the meeting agenda and approved under a voice vote. The board did not record a roll-call tally of individual yea/nay votes in the public discussion transcript.

Board members and staff said the stipend is a new program for the charter system and that it intends to raise the number of teachers able and willing to host student teachers.

The governing board did not attach an implementation date during the meeting. Staff indicated the stipend will follow the procedures and eligibility criteria Beliciotis described and will be administered through existing payroll/ad-pay processes.