National School Reform Faculty

Who Pays for CFGs?
Date: February 2 - 4, 2004
Listserv: Coaches

Monday, February 2, 2004 4:34 PM
Hello. I would appreciate some quick responses to the following questions, as we are grappling with such issues (Could pose a decent dilemma/consultancy):

1. Do you compensate your staff/teachers for participating in CFGs before or after school hours?
2. Do you compensate administrators who participate in CFGs before or after school?
* If yes to #1 or #2: How do you compensate teachers or administrators? How much (at what rate)?
3. Any special compensation for the CFG Coaches?
* If yes to #3: How do you compensate the coaches? How much (at what rate)?
4. How is your teachers' work day defined in your teachers' contract?
5. Have you established an expectation that teachers will stay after school for some period of time to work with students and collaborate with colleagues via CFGs and other means?
* If yes, for what period of time?
* For compensation or no?

Thank you in advance for your responses. I appreciate your giving it the time. If you email me personally (and not to the whole list) I will compile the info and get it out to all.
Alec, Massachusettes

Monday, February 2, 2004 5:50 PM
Hello. I would appreciate some quick responses to the following questions, as we are grappling with such issues (Could pose a decent dilemma/consultancy):

1. Do you compensate your staff/teachers for participating in CFGs before or after school hours?

No, but read on, we have in Arizona money that is set aside for teachers who go above and beyond the call of duty. We decided that as a team here we work so hard on exhibitions and we also all participate as critical friends. By participating in our groups, setting goals and meeting them we are eligible for what we call going the extra mile money, it is already set aside in the district office for projects such as these. The superintendent fully supports the program. Lisa

2. Do you compensate administrators who participate in CFGs before or
after school?

No, but read on * If yes to #1 or #2: How do you compensate teachers or administrators? How much (at what rate)?

3. Any special compensation for the CFG Coaches?
* If yes to #3: How do you compensate the coaches? How much (at what rate)?

4. How is your teachers' work day defined in your teachers' contract?

7:30-3:30 we must be here. And take all duties as assigned. We have a staff development time set aside for us once per month while students havelate start. 5. Have you established an expectation that teachers will stay after school for some period of time to work with students and collaborate with
colleagues via CFGs and other means?

* If yes, for what period of time?
* For compensation or no?

Thank you in advance for your responses. I appreciate your giving ithe time. If you email me personally (and not to the whole list) I will compile the info and get it out to all.
Lisa, Arizona

Monday, February 2, 2004 6:19 PM
Hello. I would appreciate some quick responses to the following questions, as we are grappling with such issues (Could pose a decent dilemma/consultancy):

1. Do you compensate your staff/teachers for participating in CFGs before or after school hours?

At my school we are paid the training rate of $25/hour for our CFG work afterschool.

2. Do you compensate administrators who participate in CFGs before or
after school?

Our administrators don't participate in our after hours work.
* If yes to #1 or #2: How do you compensate teachers or administrators? How much (at what rate)?

3. Any special compensation for the CFG Coaches?

There is no special compensation at my school for CFG Coaches other than the fact that we have been paid during our training if we were off-track or the school paid for substitutes and the training fees.
* If yes to #3: How do you compensate the coaches? How much (at what rate)?

4. How is your teachers' work day defined in your teachers' contract?

Teachers are paid for 6.6 hours and get 40 minutes of preparation time, 30 minutes before school and 10 minutes after school.

5. Have you established an expectation that teachers will stay after school for some period of time to work with students and collaborate
with colleagues via CFGs and other means?

Our CFGs are totally voluntary, but once you come, you are committed for the entire school year.
* If yes, for what period of time?
* For compensation or no?

Thank you in advance for your responses. I appreciate your giving it
thetime. If you email me personally (and not to the whole list) I will
compile the info and get it out to all.
Mark, California

Monday, February 2, 2004 6:48 PM
Hello. I would appreciate some quick responses to the following questions, as we are grappling with such issues (Could pose a decent dilemma/consultancy):

1. Do you compensate your staff/teachers for participating in CFGs before or after school hours?

Yes

2. Do you compensate administrators who participate in CFGs before or after school? No
* If yes to #1 or #2: How do you compensate teachers or
administrators?

How much (at what rate)?

We get SWAP days.

3. Any special compensation for the CFG Coaches?

No
* If yes to #3: How do you compensate the coaches? How much (at what rate)?

4. How is your teachers' work day defined in your teachers' contract?

It is defined as a 190 day employee. As such we should be availble for tutoring out students at least 1 day a week.

5. Have you established an expectation that teachers will stay after school for some period of time to work with students and collaborate with colleagues via CFGs and other means?

If you are in a CFG, you are required to meet once a month for at least 2 hours. The expectation for tutoring is that we are to stay for at least an hour with students and for the additional meetings we should attend faculty meetings once a month and grade level meetings weekly and department meetings once a month.
* If yes, for what period of time?
* For compensation or no? No

Thank you in advance for your responses. I appreciate your giving it the time. If you email me personally (and not to the whole list) I will compile the info and get it out to all.
Dara, South Carolina

Monday, February 2, 2004 10:18 PM
Hi,
It's Karyl. I teach with Lisa and though we are set up with GEM money (Go the Extra Mile) it is pretty problematic. I may be an "old school CFG coach" but we had much better "buy in" and conversations when teachers volunteered. Granted, fewer teachers participated and we didn't get paid, but ... The requirement is making it a difficult idea to "sell" and I never thought I'd have to sell CFG. Call me naive, but I long for the days ... just beware what you ask for, you may get it!

Thanks

Hello. I would appreciate some quick responses to the following questions, as we are grappling with such issues (Could pose a decent dilemma/consultancy):

1. Do you compensate your staff/teachers for participating in CFGs before or after school hours?

No, but read on, we have in Arizona money that is set aside for teachers who go above and beyond the call of duty. We decided that as a team here we work so hard on exhibitions and we also all participate as critical friends. By participating in our groups, setting goals and meeting them we are eligible for what we call going the extra mile money, it is already set aside in the district office for projects such as these. The superintendent fully supports the program. Lisa

2. Do you compensate administrators who participate in CFGs before or after school?

No, but read on * If yes to #1 or #2: How do you compensate teachers or administrators? How much (at what rate)?

3. Any special compensation for the CFG Coaches?

* If yes to #3: How do you compensate the coaches? How much (at what
rate)?

4. How is your teachers' work day defined in your teachers' contract?

7:30-3:30 we must be here. And take all duties as assigned. We have a
staff development time set aside for us once per month while students have
late start. 5. Have you established an expectation that teachers will stay after school for some period of time to work with students and collaborate
with colleagues via CFGs and other means?
* If yes, for what period of time?
* For compensation or no?

Thank you in advance for your responses. I appreciate your giving it the
time. If you email me personally (and not to the whole list) I will compile the info and get it out to all.
Karyl, Arizona

Tuesday, February 3, 2004 5:51 PM
Hello,

1. No.

2. No.

3. No.

4. We have no contract. We work until it's done.

5. Yes. The entire staff has agree to participate in CFGs. These meetings happen after school.
Michelle, Indiana

Tuesday, February 3, 2004 9:18 PM
Alexander,

1. We compensate our teachers involved in CFGs for after school hours only.

2. We do not have administrators on our CFGs. We voted by consensus not to include them. Besides, they are way too busy to make the CFGs and to commit to them.
Compensation: Our teachers are compensated hourly, based on our teachers' contract. The rate is $22 or $24 per hour. I have to double check the amount. We have grant money from NESSN that has been allocated for this purpose. We have to send the "time cards" to NESSN at the end of the school year.

3. CFG Coaches (Facilitators) get paid for preparation time in addition to the actual CFG time. They get paid at the same rate as the teachers involved in the CFGs.

4. Our teachers workday is defined: "The regular teaching day for all teachers shall be seven hours and ten consecutive minutes in length. the regular teacher arrival time shall be no earlier than 7:15 AM and the regular teacher dismissal time shall be no later than 3:45 PM, except as provided for in Article 5:01 (c), below." (Up to 15 hours per school year, ten hours for professional development, decided on by Faculty Affairs Committee and Building Administrator, no meeting lasting longer than thirty minutes beyond the regular teaching day and no more than two meetings extending beyond the teaching day per month; five hours for faculty meetings per year, no meeting lasting longer than thirty minutes beyond the regular teaching day and no more than one scheduled per month, seven school days notice is required in order to require teachers to stay for the extended time.) The number of periods of instruction and of duty are also spelled out in our contract, as are the number of preparation periods per day. A duty-free lunch period is also spelled out.

5. Our school day is set up so there is thirty minutes of after school time (within the "regular teaching day" ) to work with students on a daily basis. This is also the time when faculty meetings and parent conferences are held. CFGs are held during the half-day inservice (no other compensation is given) or from the end of the last class for two hours and compensation is paid at the above-mentioned hourly rate. CFGs are strictly voluntary. Participation has not been negotiated with the union. When we recruited members for our CFG we spelled out that is was voluntary, was a two year commitment, and that after school hours would be compensated per the teachers contract. We also spelled out that we would meet once a month and would use the half-day inservice days when we had them. The CFG members decide on the date that is good for them all if the time is after school. If a member cannot make the CFG for whatever reason, there are no repercussions.

This is the first year we have been doing CFGs in Utica at Proctor High School. Everything is on a trial basis right now.
Bambi, New York

Wednesday, February 4, 2004 8:36 AM
Alexander,

1. Do you compensate your staff/teachers for participating in CFGs before
or after school hours?

NO compensation for teachers or administrators, except they earn re-certification credit.

2. Do you compensate administrators who participate in CFGs before or
after school?

We do have administrators in CFGs. The administrators that are members of CFGs GET IT. They are committed, model professional learning and bring work to the group for protocols. NO compensation for teachers or administrators, except they earn re-certification credit.

3. Any special compensation for the CFG Coaches?

No, they earn certificate renewal and experience the reward of leadership and selfless service. :) We have discussed compensation, but that will change the motivation of those who choose to lead... food for thought.

4. How is your teachers' work day defined in your teachers' contract?

8:00-3:30. We are Non-union in SC

5. Have you established an expectation that teachers will stay after school for some period of time to work with students and collaborate with colleagues via CFGs and other means?

Teachers committed to improving their craft of teaching are dedicated individuals that love the work of CFGs. CFG in not mandatory, it is by choice. Many of our administrators here will work to try to provide coverage during the day if that is what the group prefers.

If yes, for what period of time?

Our first year, our principal was committed to doing CFG during the school day. CFG got 2 hours each month during the day, with substitutes scheduled to cover their classes. At the end of the school year the teachers asked if we could do it after school or evenings so they would not be out of their classrooms! I was surprised. That CFG is now an evening 7:00-9:00 PM CFG that includes a light dinner in our principal's home. A second CFG in our school meets from 3:30-5:00 monthly at school.

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."
Toni, South Carolina

Wednesday, February 4, 2004 8:50 PM
Alec - No pay for admins. or tchrs.; admins. meet during their working day; tchrs stay after school & their are refreshments & they earn professional growth credits which if accumulated result in small annual raises, e.g. $500/yr. -
Dave, New York