Delaware is taking a step toward keeping talented teachers in the classroom.
Gov. Jack Markell and Secretary of Education Steven Godowsky announced Thursday 19 teachers to participate in a teacher leader pilot program that begins this fall.
The goal of the initiative is convince top teachers to stay in the classroom by offering them increased compensation and a formal leadership position. Currently, a teacher looking for more money and leadership responsibility will leave the classroom to become an administrator.
Melanie Foavelle is a Spanish teacher at Appoquinimink High School and a digital content teacher leader. She eventually wants to become an administrator but isn't ready to leave the classroom.
"I love teaching. And the great thing about this program is that it allows me to move up the career ladder as a teacher leader without having to give up that classroom interaction,” she said.
Markell has been pushing for this initiative over the past two years as part of an overall review of teacher compensation in Delaware. He’s also been an advocate for making educators’ salaries more competitive with neighboring states - specifically entry-level teacher salaries.
A nine-member committee of educators, administrators chose eight schools to pilot the teacher-leader program. Those schools then formed their own selection committees to designate their teacher leaders.
The leaders will focus on supporting fellow educators in five areas, including instructional practice, digital content, instructional strategy, community partnership and instructional culture.
Each participating school has designed a set of goals for each teacher leader to accomplish.
The 2016-17 teacher leaders are:
· Amanda Alexander, instructional culture, Towne Point Elementary (Capital School District)
· Colleen Barrett, digital content, Middletown High School (Appoquinimink School District)
· Chelsea Baxter, instructional culture, Kuumba Academy (Charter)
· Kirsten Belair, instructional practice, Odyssey Charter School (Charter)
· Lindsay Bouvy, instructional practice, Appoquinimink High School (Appoquinimink School District)
· Michelle Duke, instructional practice, Towne Point Elementary (Capital School District)
· Carrie Howe, community partnerships, MOT Charter School (Charter)
· Melanie Fauvelle, digital content, Appoquinimink High School (Appoquinimink School District)
· Michele Johnson, instructional practice, Towne Point Elementary (Capital School District)
· Kris King, instructional practice, Cedar Lane Elementary (Appoquinimink School District)
· Heather Patricco, instructional practice, Cedar Lane Elementary (Appoquinimink School District)
· Heather Mann, instructional practice, East Dover Elementary (Capital School District)
· Shana Noll, instructional practice, MOT Charter School (Charter)
· Crystal Samuels, digital content, Middletown High School (Appoquinimink School District)
· Katharine Sawyer, instructional practice, Middletown High School (Appoquinimink School District)
· Krista Seifert, instructional culture, East Dover Elementary (Capital School District)
· John Tanner, instructional practice, Appoquinimink High School (Appoquinimink School District)
· Kady Taylor, instructional strategy (K-8 reading), Kuumba Academy (Charter)
· Tamara Walker, instructional strategy (K-8 math), Kuumba Academy (Charter)
