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Board approves MOU to preserve Shakopee University credits for teachers
Summary
The board approved a memorandum of understanding to ensure credits earned through district-run Shakopee University remain on teachers’ district salary lanes after they complete external master’s degrees, rather than disappearing from district credit counts.
The school board approved a memorandum of understanding on June 9 that changes how Shakopee University credits are counted when teachers later earn external graduate degrees.
Superintendent Dr. Dan Redmond and district staff said the district created Shakopee University to support district‑centered professional learning and to incentivize staff development tied to local priorities. Under the revised MOU, teachers who earn the district’s 10 Shakopee University credits will keep those credits on the district salary schedule in addition to any subsequent master's credits, rather than having the district-level credits vanish when a higher degree is posted.
Why it matters: the revision preserves an incentive for teachers to engage in district‑focused professional learning without penalizing them if they later complete a formal master’s program. Presenters said the credits still apply only on Shakopee’s salary schedule and are not broadly transferable to other districts.
Board action: a motion to approve the MOU was made (motion by Aldridge, second by Peterson) and carried without recorded opposition. District staff said the change will not allow teachers to jump salary lanes beyond standard contractual and state schedule rules; it simply ensures Shakopee University credits are added on top of future graduate degrees for local lane calculations.
Next steps: staff will finalize administrative steps to apply the revised credit treatment on pay schedules and communicate the change to district employees.
