Board approves differentiated stipend program and related professional development

The Committee of the Whole approved a district proposal to use Louisiana Department of Education differentiated-stipend funds to provide targeted retention and recruitment incentives tied to professional development and assessment results. Staff explained that the state’s differentiated stipend funds are restricted to teacher leaders and eligible teachers (highly effective teachers, teachers in hard-to-staff areas such as 6–12 math and science and K–12 special education, and teachers at schools with at least 85% economically disadvantaged students). The district’s plan will offer a series of professional-development sessions (staff described a five-session series in most categories and a three-session series for special categories) and require 90% attendance to be eligible for the stipend. Eligible participants may receive $1,500 for completing the PD series; some teachers who increase their EOC results may receive additional stipends (staff described a $500 payment tied to EOC gains). Staff said the program could yield up to $2,000 per teacher in a school year, depending on eligibility and outcomes. Board members discussed logistics, teacher-leader participation and whether participation would be optional; staff clarified that the stipend PD is optional in many cases and teacher leaders would be eligible and sometimes released from campus for required PD during the day. The motion to approve the differentiated-stipend plan passed.