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Gaston County Schools names 10 "innovation schools" in push for targeted coaching, pay incentives
Summary
The Gaston County Board of Education reviewed an innovation schools strategy that targets 10 schools with leadership pay supplements, teacher incentive roles, and focused professional development after a state grant award.
Gaston County Schools on April 14 outlined an "innovation schools" strategy that will place targeted leaders and teachers in 10 schools to boost instruction and support coaching, curriculum alignment and professional development.
The district presented a purpose statement saying, "Gaston County's innovation schools will serve as a recordable model for high quality teaching and learning ensuring every student has access to exemplary educators who embrace growth through coaching and data driven instruction, preparing them for lifelong success," and laid out three main focus areas: highly effective leaders, highly effective educators, and high quality professional development and partnerships.
The plan identifies a first cohort of 10 schools: six elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools. The district said proven leaders will be placed at several of those schools using the State Principal Supplemental Salary Initiative, which provides up to $30,000 annually for three years to principals in designated roles. The district also said it received an "advanced teacher role" grant worth about $1,000,000 over three years and is screening more than 60 applicants for advanced teacher roles, which the district said could allow selected teachers to earn up to $20,000 extra per year.
"We are excited about the idea of attracting our highly effective teachers, our green and blue teachers, into our 10 innovation schools where they have the opportunity to earn up to $20,000 extra per year," the district presentation said.
Superintendent Dr. Houchard and staff credited multiple departments for supporting the initiative and said the academic-services-led effort has involved HR, operations, finance, technology and communications in planning. Board members publicly praised the team for pursuing and winning the state grant on an initial application.
Board discussion included two brief clarifications: (1) a "blue and green" teacher designation indicates a teacher "has met or exceeded growth in leading their group of students," and (2) staff said very few districts receive the grant on the first application cycle and that the district was successful on its first try.
The district did not identify the 10 schools by name in the board presentation, and no board vote was required or taken on the strategy at the April 14 meeting. Staff said further implementation details and school-level placements will follow in coming months.
