B IG R O C K : T e a c h e r Le a d e r s h i p a n d C o m p e n s a t i o n
Building Educator Capacity
WHAT IS TLC?
The Teacher Leadership and Compensation System rewards effective teachers with leadership opportunities and higher
pay, attracts promising new teachers with competitive starting salaries and more support, and fosters greater
collaboration for all teachers to learn from each other.
The overriding philosophy of the system is multi-pronged, but boils down to this: Improving student learning requires
improving the instruction they receive each day. There is no better way to do this than to empower our best teachers to
lead the effort. Through the system, teacher leaders take on extra responsibilities, including helping colleagues analyze
data and fine tune instructional strategies as well as coaching and co-teaching.
The goals of the Teacher Leadership and Compensation System are:
1. Attract able and promising new teachers by offering competitive starting salaries and offering short-term and
long-term professional development and leadership opportunities.
2. Retain effective teachers by providing enhanced career opportunities.
3. Promote collaboration by developing and supporting opportunities for teachers in schools and school districts
statewide to learn from each other.
4. Reward professional growth and effective teaching by providing pathways for career opportunities that come
with increased leadership responsibilities and involve increased compensation.
5. Improve student achievement by strengthening instruction.
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF TLC?
There are five key components of the TLC System:
1. A minimum salary of $33,500 for all full-time teachers.
2. Improved entry into the profession, including additional coaching, mentoring and learning opportunities for new
teachers.
3. Differentiated, multiple, meaningful teacher leadership roles with additional responsibilities and compensation.
4. A rigorous selection process for leadership roles, which includes locally defined measures of effectiveness and
professional growth.
5. Professional development facilitated by teacher leaders and aligned with the Iowa Professional Development
Model.
WHAT IS THE CURRENT WORK OF TLC?
1) Supporting Implementation
Beginning in the 2014-15 school year, 39 school districts will implement a local TLC plan. The Department, in
conjunction with the AEA system, has convened an ongoing working team to identify, coordinate, and provide
training and support to teacher leaders and administrators. The group has develop a Framework for Learning
Supports, which helps ensure that all training and support is aligned to specific outcomes that will support the
improvement of classroom instruction and student learning. The working group is also coordinating multiple
learning opportunities across the state, which currently includes:
 Statewide TLC Meeting – April 16
 Launching Teacher Leadership (sponsored by SAI & ISEA) – June 12
 Regional TLC Workshops – end of June (location TBD)
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B IG R O C K : T e a c h e r Le a d e r s h i p a n d C o m p e n s a t i o n
Building Educator Capacity
2) Supporting Planning
The Department and AEA system are continuing to assist school districts that are still in the process of
developing local TLC plans. An ongoing planning group meets on a regular basis to share ideas and resources to
help districts plan.
In addition, the Department continues to post resources to the TLC page of its website. These resources include
guidance on the system, FAQs, exemplars of each section of the TLC application from large and small school
districts, related articles and research, and the currently approved TLC applications.
WHAT OTHER ITEMS ARE A ‘MUST TO KNOW’ ABOUT TLC?
The Iowa General Assembly approved $50 million for the first year of implementation. In each subsequent year through
2016-17, another $50 million will be added to the system for a total of $150 million per year, enabling all districts to
participate if they choose.
The Department is currently working with the Commission on Educator Leadership and Compensation to finalize the
application deadline, selection process, and approval notification for the coming school year. The next application
deadline will be in late October or early November.
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