After Act 10: a Wisconsin District Administrator's
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
AFTER ACT 10: A WISCONSIN DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR’S ACCOUNT OF TEACHER COMPENSATION By Margaret (Peggy) Frances Larson The passage of Wisconsin Act 10 in 2011 ended an era. In 1959, the State of Wisconsin was the first to allow local government workers the ability to organize, which allowed employees to negotiate with employers for wages, hours, and conditions. In 1972, the Wisconsin Education Association Council formed. The group became a powerful and influential organization. As power grew, so did teacher salaries and benefits. Politicians became increasingly concerned with the tax impact these benefits caused (Umhoefer, 2016). Several governors took office and attempted to limit collective bargaining, but not until Governor Scott Walker did it go so far as to eliminate collective bargaining. In 2011, Governor Scott Walker passed the Wisconsin Act 10. This law, recognized as the Budget Repair Bill, was an effort to improve the state’s fiscal problems. However, a portion of these efforts entailed limiting state aid to local governments, which resulted in a $792 billion tax cut to state school districts (Szafir, Flanders, & Hudson, 2016). To compensate for the difference, Governor Walker provided school districts with an alternative means, or tools as he described them, of controlling costs. These alternative means allowed district administrators to change existing policies surrounding teacher compensation, hiring, firing, and best practices without the approval of the teachers’ unions. The purpose of this study was to examine how one district administrator managed teacher compensation since the implementation of the Wisconsin Act 10 in 2011. This study focused on the self-reflection and personal analysis of the author, the district administrator of a school district in Wisconsin, and her personal experiences surrounding policy changes to teacher compensation following the passing of Wisconsin Act 10. Few studies have considered how teacher compensation entails involvement of the district administrators, the associated challenges these professionals must face, and how such challenges are resolved. To my husband, Rob, whose constant encouragement, unwavering support, and patience provided me with the willpower to continue my journey. Your confidence in me never faltered. Thanks for making my life complete. To my dearest friends who kept me smiling, laughing, and at times drinking throughout this experience. To all the children in my life, especially my Godchildren, Lauren and Cooper. Please know you can do whatever you set your mind to do! To my grandparents, Willard and Frances Collins and Roy and Margaret Menzel, whose strong belief in education started a tradition that continues in our family. To my parents, Charles and Kathryn Collins, who have always believed in me and continue to do so. Without your guidance, love, and support, I would not be in the position I am today. To my brothers, Michael and Matthew, you made me tough and strong. I certainly needed that strength throughout this journey. Lastly, to my brother Luke in heaven, your spirit is always with me. I know when you are not playing tennis or basketball on the heavenly courts, you are watching over me. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Reaching this point calls for celebration, as well as an expression of gratitude to the many people who were in my life during the course of this journey. I am grateful to all my colleagues and staff members who challenged me to meet their high expectations. Thank you to Dr. Frederick Yeo and Mr. James Hoffman for allowing me, along with six others, to finish our dissertation coursework with the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. Thank you to Dr. Tonya Olson, who presented the idea at a CESA 6 meeting to pursue an EdD; Dr. Marguerite Penick-Parks, who believed in my qualitative research; and Dr. Kathleen Gwidt for being my external reader and friend. Thank you to Dr. Karen Gibson for the insights she shared, along with the guidance in how to prepare and orchestrate this qualitative study. I am grateful to all members of my committee for their expertise, honesty, and support. Finally, thank you to my existing cohort. We started this journey eager to learn and excited about our opportunities. We have grown as friends and as colleagues—it has been a pleasure. Congratulations to all of you for reaching the goal. I am proud to complete the pact we made with each other three years ago. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................. vii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION TO STUDY ......................................................... 1 Overview ....................................................................................................... 1 Governor Walker’s Impact ........................................................................... 3 Local Example .............................................................................................. 5 Research Questions ....................................................................................... 6 Assumptions and Limitations ....................................................................... 7 Definition of Terms ....................................................................................... 9 Statement of Purpose .................................................................................... 9 Summary ....................................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................. 11 The Beginning of Formal Education .............................................................. 11 The Law of 1647 ............................................................................... 11 Deluder Satan Act ............................................................................. 12 Teacher Compensation .................................................................................. 13 Boarding Round ................................................................................ 14 Position-Based Remuneration ........................................................... 15 The Single Compensation Schedule ................................................. 17 Unions and Teacher Compensation .................................................. 18 Models of Teacher Compensation .................................................... 21 Impact on Teacher Compensation since Wisconsin Act 10 .............. 24 Summary ....................................................................................................... 29 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY .......................................................................... 31 Research Design ............................................................................................ 32 Data Collection ............................................................................................. 36 Study Population ........................................................................................... 38 Instrumentation ............................................................................................. 38 Data Analysis ................................................................................................ 39 Summary ....................................................................................................... 43 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Page CHAPTER V: MY JOURNEY THROUGH WISCONSIN ACT 10 ....................... 44 My Background, the District Administrator ................................................. 45 The New Era Begins – and Not Just for Me ................................................. 49 Unintentional Consequences of Wisconsin Act 10 ....................................... 53 New Evaluation Tool .................................................................................... 55 Compensation Conversation ......................................................................... 56 Teacher Compensation Meeting One ................................................ 57 Teacher Compensation Meeting Two ............................................... 61 Teacher Compensation Meeting Three ............................................. 68 The Big Mistake ................................................................................ 70 Glimmers of Hope ............................................................................. 71 Keep Things Simple .......................................................................... 74 Compensation Model Established ................................................................. 75 Communication Strategy .................................................................. 77 Would the First Year be our Last? .................................................... 78 District Leadership Team .................................................................. 79 Keep Calm and Believe .................................................................... 83 Summary ....................................................................................................... 85 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSIONS .............................................................................. 86 Overview ....................................................................................................... 87 Stakeholders and Teacher Compensation ....................................................