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District 97 proposes revised teacher‑leadership roles, stipend structure for SY26
Summary
District staff presented a streamlined set of teacher‑leadership roles, updated job descriptions and stipend amounts for SY26 and said the board will vote to post and approve roles at a later meeting.
Oak Park Elementary School District 97 staff presented a revised set of teacher‑leadership roles and stipend levels for School Year 2025–26 at the April 8 board meeting and asked the board to approve the plan for posting and candidate selection in a future agenda item.
What was proposed: the district panel — which included Natasha Campbell (assistant superintendent for HR and equity), Patrick Robinson (assistant superintendent for elementary schools) and teacher representatives from OPTA — described a streamlined menu of roles across elementary and middle schools and several district committees. Staff said the revisions clarify job descriptions, set clearer expectations and align stipends more closely with time commitments.
Key changes and numbers cited: elementary school teams were reorganized to show lead and member roles where appropriate; for example the revised climate/MTSS structure for elementary was presented with lead stipends of $3,000 and member stipends of $1,500 for selected teams. Middle‑school MTSS leaders were presented with $4,500 stipends for lead roles. Staff said the total program represents roughly 196 contracted staff assignments across district and district‑level committees. (Staff noted the overall proposed stipend budget is similar to the current year and in some respects slightly reduced.)
Why it matters: staff framed the roles as a pathway to leadership and as a way to elevate instructional and school‑wide practice while keeping teachers in classrooms. The district also emphasized visible work products — agendas, action plans and coaching artifacts — as measures of role impact going forward.
Board discussion and next steps: board members asked about role rotation, application access and continuity versus fresh participation. Staff said applications will be submitted through Frontline, that some positions allow multiple roles per person but the district will monitor access, and that the team will return with a timeline to post and select candidates if the board approves the proposal at the next meeting.
No board vote was taken on April 8; staff asked the board to approve the proposal for posting and selection at a subsequent meeting and to authorize implementation timelines following board approval.
