We are Piloting a Change to the Vertical Team Stipend for 2015-16

Posted on by

Vertical Team StipendWe will be piloting a change to the traditional vertical team stipend we have grown used to over the past several years. This change will be a trial run for 2015-16, and the overall goal is to differentiate stipends to support the different kinds of work we have for vertical team members. Rather than stipending the vertical team member to be a “Jack of all trades,” we will stipend the “trades.”

In order to better accomplish division-wide goals for each respective content area and to encourage cross-curricular integration, the division will reorganize Vertical Team responsibilities into a two-tiered structure. The purpose of this new structure is to allow more teachers to participate in product development while maintaining a division-wide structure for strategic planning and communication in each discipline. In lieu of the current vertical team structure, Content Advisory Teams and Product Development Teams will be created in the 2015-16 school year.

For elementary and middle schools, this will mean splitting the $500 vertical team stipend in two for the two purposes outlined below. For high schools, both vertical teams stipends for each content area will be split. Changes to the stipend structure will be reflected in allocations provided to principals from Human Resources.

Content Advisory Team members will collaborate to:

  • Develop a strategic plan by establishing year-long goals and setting priorities for a designated content area.
  • Solicit input and feedback from teachers to inform the strategic plan.
  • Serve as the primary communication liaison between central office and schools around updates and opportunities.
  • Provide recommendations for the division-level strategic plan.

Content Advisory Team members will meet no more than three times to develop the strategic plan and monitor progress toward meeting the goals. Members will receive an ALCP stipend of $250 for the year-long commitment.

Product Development Team members will collaborate to develop a specific product or deliverable that contributes to division-level curriculum and assessment work as identified within the content area’s strategic plan.

Products, team membership, duration, frequency of meeting, and compensation will be based on the scope of each project.