Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Literacy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves LETTERS literacy-training MOU that offers teachers monthly stipends
Summary
Trustees approved a negotiated MOU with the teachersunion allowing eligible elementary teachers to complete two-year LETTERS training with monthly stipends of $1,500 (contingent on monthly benchmarks); the district said funding is restricted one-time funds and that charters participating would pay registration.
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District board on Oct. 8 approved a memorandum of understanding with the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers to roll out the two-year LETTERS literacy training for elementary teachers and administrators.
Under the MOU, participating teachers who meet verified monthly completion benchmarks will be eligible for stipends described at the meeting as $1,500 per month for up to 10 months per year; district staff stated the annual maximum stipend language in the MOU equates to $15,000 per year per participant and the program has a two-year completion window. District staff said participating charters pay registration but charter teachers who are PVFT members will still receive stipends.
Board members and union leaders discussed implementation supports, flexibility for teachers who miss monthly benchmarks due to illness or emergencies, and how the stipend is funded. Staff said the training is funded from a mix of restricted, one-time sources (Title I carryover, educator-effectiveness and other block grants) and that it should not draw from the unrestricted general fund. Trustees asked that the district provide periodic data showing training completion and student-learning impacts; administrators said classroom gains are expected to emerge quickly through universal screeners such as DIBELS and program-formative assessments.
The board approved the MOU by unanimous vote (6-0-0-1). Trustees and union leaders framed the agreement as voluntary for teachers and said teachers who had been required to pilot the training in limited sites would now have the choice to opt in with stipend compensation for work beyond contractual hours.
