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Small Wonders teachers urge Lakeville to add preschool staff to master pay scale and tenure
Summary
Two Small Wonders early childhood teachers asked the Lakeville Area School Board to include preschool teachers on the district’s master teacher pay scale and in tenure protections, citing rising early-childhood expectations, loss of applicants to neighboring districts, and a district estimate of under $200,000 per year to implement.
Deborah Lierman and Tiffany Arnovec told the board during public comment that Small Wonders early childhood teachers perform the same instructional and assessment work as K–12 educators and should be included on the district master teacher salary schedule and in tenure processes.
“By 2028, Minnesota school districts will be required to staff preschool classrooms with licensed teachers,” Arnovec said, urging the district to act now so it can remain competitive with neighboring districts. She told the board that based on available financial information, including Small Wonders teachers on the master pay scale would cost the district “less than $200,000 per year.”
Lierman described the classroom responsibilities early educators carry—socialization, self-help skills and early identification of students who need extra services—and said turnover is increasing because surrounding districts offer master-teacher contracts for preschool staff. “Now in order to maintain the quality of hiring new teachers there will need to be a change in salary,” she said.
Board members did not take action on the request during public comment. Administration and the board’s policy committee will be able to consider the budget and collective-bargaining implications at a later meeting.
The public-comment speakers asked the district to treat preschool teachers as full educators rather than childcare employees; they asked for a pay scale alignment and inclusion in the tenure process so recruitment and retention improve. The board did not adopt changes at tonight’s meeting and no formal motion on this item was voted on.
