Week 14: Advancing Education Through Rewards and Change

Happy Friday!

As we wrap up another productive week at Mena Public Schools, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks for your dedication and hard work. Each day, your efforts bring us closer to meeting our performance targets, ensuring that every student achieves their full potential. Whether in classrooms, on the athletic fields, or through our extracurricular programs, your commitment to excellence is evident and deeply appreciated.

This week’s Wrap-up highlights two key topics shaping the conversation in education: the concept of teacher merit pay and the potential impacts of President-elect Trump’s recently announced plan to reshape the Federal Department of Education. Both topics have sparked important discussions about how we support our educators and provide the best opportunities for our students. There is much more to these topics than what is in this Wrap-up and hopefully what is in here will encourage you to explore these developments further.

Merit Pay

To help teachers understand how to qualify for the Arkansas Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Merit Teacher Incentive Fund, here is an overview based on three main eligibility categories, including examples to illustrate how teachers from different backgrounds can qualify for bonuses.

The Outstanding Growth in Student Performance category recognizes teachers who excel in advancing student learning. To be eligible, a teacher must demonstrate high growth in student performance based on a three-year average of growth scores. Here are the bonus levels for teachers based on statewide rankings:

* Top 0.5% of three-year average growth scores across subjects: $10,000

* Top 1% across subjects: $9,000

* Top 5% across subjects: $6,000

* Top 25% in subject-specific growth (ELA, Math, or Science): $3,000

To determine these growth scores, DESE calculates the academic progress of students in relation to peers with similar prior achievement, making it possible for students at all levels to show growth. For example, a teacher whose students consistently show more progress than peers may achieve a growth score above 80 and thereby qualify for a bonus. Notably, a different secondary math teacher who works in a geographic shortage area and is in the top 25% for student growth in math, would qualify for multiple bonuses by meeting criteria in multiple categories. There are several examples of how this may work in this report published by the Office for Education Policy at the University of Arkansas - Fayetteville.

The second category, Mentorship of Yearlong Residents, is for teachers who serve as mentors in Arkansas’s yearlong residency program. The LEARNS Act mandates that all aspiring teachers in Arkansas complete a yearlong residency by 2027, creating a need for more mentors. Teachers who qualify as mentors receive a $3,000 bonus. To qualify, they must:

* Have at least three years of teaching experience.

* Hold a Lead or Master Professional Educator designation.

* Complete DESE-recognized coaching training.

For example, a teacher with 15 years of experience, a Master's designation, and completed coaching training qualifies to mentor a resident and receive this $3,000 bonus. As the demand for mentors increases, the state plans to recruit approximately 2,000 mentors by 2027. Additionally, Mena Public Schools also offers micro-credential incentive pay for being designated a master teacher. Here is a resource from the DeQueen-Mena Educational Cooperative to discover ways to earn this designation.

The third category, Teaching in a Critical Shortage Area, applies to educators in high-need subjects or geographic regions. Teachers in shortage areas may be eligible for bonuses, and this includes those teaching specialized subjects, working in geographic shortage areas, or holding specific designations. The shortage areas include:

* Subject Shortages: Teachers in fields such as Computer Science, Foreign Language, Secondary Math, Secondary Science, and Special Education are eligible for a $2,500 bonus.

* Geographic Shortages: Teachers in regions like Arkansas River ESC, Great Rivers ESC, Pulaski County, Southeast ESC, and Southwest ESC are eligible for a $1,500 bonus.

* Lead or Master Professional Educator Designation: Teachers with these designations are in demand and eligible for a $1,500 bonus.

For example, a high school science teacher in a rural district who holds a Master's designation and serves in a geographic shortage area may receive a combined bonus for both her designation and her location. This approach allows Arkansas to address workforce shortages across a variety of regions and fields.

Overall, participating teachers must maintain an “effective” or “highly effective” rating in the DESE Educator Effectiveness System. In the first year of the program, approximately 3,000 teachers received bonuses, with an average award of around $3,300. Many teachers, like Ms. Ozark in the example created by the University of Arkansas's Office of Educational Policy, could combine bonuses from multiple categories, recognizing their impact in ways that support state education goals.

This structure not only provides multiple pathways for teachers to be rewarded for their efforts but also supports Arkansas's goals to retain high-performing educators, improve teacher recruitment, and fill critical shortage areas across the state. This merit pay program offers recognition and rewards to a diverse array of educators, encouraging retention and supporting a high-quality teaching workforce. Please read the article linked in the text and the information on this commissioner’s memo to learn more.

President-Elect Trump’s Plan for DoE

President-elect Donald Trump's announcement of plans to dissolve the Federal Department of Education has sparked a significant debate within the education community. Arkansas Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva suggests that such a move could empower states by reducing federal bureaucracy, while opponents, including education advocates, warn of potential chaos and funding gaps for vital programs like special education and Pell Grants. This issue highlights a divide, as some educators welcome state autonomy, while others emphasize the risks to vulnerable student populations. To explore the differing perspectives, we encourage you to read the full article linked here.

Closing

A huge thank you to all of our culinary specialists, principals, teachers, and staff who worked tirelessly to make our parent and student Thanksgiving lunch such a tremendous success. We also thank the student volunteers who helped serve! This cherished event is a highlight for our community, and it is clear just how much everyone values this special time together. We are thrilled to share that an incredible 3,787 meals were served on Wednesday and Thursday, a testament to the incredible teamwork and dedication of everyone involved. Thank you for making this tradition so meaningful for our families.

We are proud to recognize our School Resource Officer, Sgt. Justin Wagner, for being selected to receive the prestigious “Dwayne Yarbrough Distinguished Service Award” from Attorney General Tim Griffin. This award honors officers who demonstrate exceptional dedication and service to their communities, and Sgt. Wagner exemplifies these qualities through his tireless work with our School Resource Officer programs and School Security Teams. His efforts, often extending beyond regular hours, have greatly enhanced the safety and security of our students and staff. Congratulations, Sgt. Wagner, on this well-deserved honor!

Bearcat and Ladycat Basketball season is officially underway, and our teams are off to an incredible start! We are thrilled about our junior high teams making it to the finals of the Horatio Tournament, showcasing their hard work, skill, and determination. As the season kicks off, we encourage everyone to come out and support our players whenever they can. Your presence in the stands fuels our athletes’ energy and pride, making a huge difference in their performance. Let us come together to cheer on all of our Bearcats and Ladycats and make this season one to remember!

Bearcat Football is back at home tonight after two games on the road, hosting the Green Forest Tigers in a first-round playoff game at Bob Carver Bearcat Stadium and Randal Whorton Field. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. Mena enters the game with a strong season record of 9-1 and an impressive offensive average of 32.8 points per game. The team is eager to bounce back after last week’s loss to Dardanelle and will face a Green Forest team riding momentum from a recent win. Come out tonight and cheer on the Bearcats as they aim to advance to the second round!

A special thanks goes out to those who organized our Veterans Day events. Our students must know the meaning of service and sacrifice and how we protect our way of life as Americans.

It was a good week for us at Mena Public Schools!

At Mena Public Schools our students are prepared, our staff is supported, and our community is confident.

Keep the #menareads posts coming and have a nice weekend!