South Washington County updates Alternative Teacher Professional Pay System; longtime specialist to retire

Tim Bunnell, the district HPPS specialist, gave the South Washington County Schools Board an annual update on the Alternative Teacher Professional Pay System (AT PPS) at its June 12 meeting and said he will retire after this report.

AT PPS includes four core components, Bunnell said: site‑determined professional development, student achievement goals, formative peer observations and career advancement opportunities. He told the board the program provided two site‑determined professional development days this year that were used for district training tied to a curriculum rollout and that next year sites will again determine the content for two days scheduled in September and at the end of the year.

Bunnell described the program’s flex professional development option, under which teachers may complete an individualized six‑hour plan and be paid for designated days. He said the district moved the allowable start date for summer professional development back to early June so staff can complete ahead‑of‑year work, and that participation in district PD rose when the district offered paid flex days. "They participate in the PD, and they receive compensation for one day's pay," he said.

On student goals, Bunnell said a major change for 2025–26 is that staff will be required to set both an academic goal and a social‑emotional learning (SEL) goal rather than choosing one or the other. He gave examples: SEL goals typically use student surveys on classroom connectedness administered at the start and end of the year; elementary academic goals are often tied to IRLA or comparable assessments and are framed as growth targets.

Bunnell said the district is changing its formative observation model for probationary teachers. Instructional coaches will provide three observations and follow‑up coaching for probationary staff; mentors will still support those teachers during the year. For continuing staff, the district will keep three peer observations but add a new option: staff may choose a learning walk where they observe a colleague and then debrief.

On career advancement, Bunnell said the district keeps mentors, AT PPS coordinators and equity teacher leaders and continues to make instructional coaches a priority. He said the district will refine coaches’ focus on probationary induction to support teacher retention and long‑term student outcomes.

Regarding funding, Bunnell said AT PPS will be paid without general fund dollars beginning in 2025–26 and that the final state budget bill included a line item for AT PPS. He told the board the district expects the program’s funding to remain intact for the next several years but cautioned that future legislative changes or undetermined cuts could affect appropriations. On proration he said new districts were not added to the program this session and projected only a modest reduction for the district—about a $30,000 decrease on a multi‑million dollar allocation—if statewide enrollment growth slightly reduces the per‑pupil amount.

Bunnell closed the presentation and invited questions.

Discussion and next steps: Board members commented positively about peer coaching and asked follow‑up questions about proration and the new dual‑goal requirement. Bunnell said staff will provide examples and continued implementation details to buildings as sites prepare staff development plans for 2025–26.

No formal board action or vote was taken on AT PPS during the meeting.