A highly competent teacher workforce is a critical foundation for continually improving children’s educational outcomes. Teacher Quality (TQ) supports Iowa’s efforts for attracting, supporting, and retaining a diverse workforce of teachers to develop greater mastery and leadership in their classrooms by providing funds for teacher professional development.
Funds Allocation
Senate File 277 provides funding for teachers to pursue individual and group professional development. This allows teachers to be compensated for time spent individually or in learning teams for book studies or other professional development.
Individual/group professional development funding is $175 annually. The hourly rate is $35; therefore, a teacher can submit five hours of professional development time (outside contract time) to receive the $175.
Step One: Teachers must discuss their request for receiving individual/group Teacher Quality funds with their building principal before completing the proposal form. Approval is at the discretion of the principal.
Building Teacher Quality funds are also available for payment to professional conferences or workshops, coursework, and educational materials: at the discretion of the building principal. Teachers do not need to complete a proposal form for this type of funding.
See your building principal or the educator members of the Teacher Quality Committee–Allysen Lovstuen, Shannon Horton, or Michaela Seeman–if you have any questions.
Proposal Process
To qualify, “All professional development plans must be aligned with the Iowa Professional Development Model… and must contain the following:
- Support that meets the career development of individual teachers and is aligned with the Iowa Teaching Standards
- Research-based instructional strategies aligned with the school district’s student achievement needs and the long-range improvement goals established by the district
- Instructional improvement components including student achievement data, analysis, theory, classroom demonstration and practice, technology integration, observations, reflection, and peer coaching.” (Per Iowa Code Chapter 284.6)
Only professional development plans that focus on student achievement will be considered.
Step Two: Once the principal verbally approves the proposed individual or group professional development, the proposal must be submitted below for record-keeping purposes. Teachers will not receive notification of their submission. Approval occurs during the conversation with the building principal in step one.
Step Three: After the professional development has been completed, fill out a timesheet with the dates/times of the PD (must be outside of contract hours) and give it to your principal for signature and processing. If working alone, ask for a green reimbursement form to complete. If working in a group, all members must individually complete, print, and sign this form, and the person arranging for payment will collect all of them, complete this form, and have a building principal sign it. The principal will then get the paperwork to the Central Office.
Proposals must be processed by May 15 and professional development must be completed by June 10. Paperwork for payment must be turned in to the central office by June 15th. Any submissions received after that date will be applied to the next fiscal year.
Proposal for Teacher Quality Funds
DCSD Teacher Quality Committee
- Justin Albers, DMS Principal
- Dana Bockman, CLE Principal
- Tim Cronin, Superintendent
- Shannon Horton, DHS/DMS Teacher Librarian
- Allysen Lovstuen, DHS Math Instructor
- Michaela Seeman, JCE/CLE Teacher Librarian
