Becoming a Model Teacher

The big news this week for Baltimore City teachers was that we received, via snail mail, our new 'Career Pathway'.

For me, it meant a raise of about $100 (much less than a step increase would have been on the old contract), but also a guarantee of $1750 stipend next year because I'm not getting (much of) a raise.

With that being said, though, my real interest -- and why I voted for the contract -- was the possibility of becoming a Model Teacher. This was vaguely described in the literature of the contract, but it was to be determined by a group of peers, both from North Avenue and the union. For me,

According to Sun education reporter Erica Green, 281 teachers in Baltimore City became Model Teachers on the new pathway. At first, I was perturbed (why wasn't I? I'm National-Board certified and that's all about documenting student learning), but then I remembered the clause in the literature about the contract that if teachers had ten years in the system plus a Masters plus 30, then automatically they became Model Teachers. This is my 10th year in the system, but I don't have plus 30, so I wasn't eligible. Oh well.

As soon as there are clear instructions about how to apply, though, I'll be there. So far, no clarity, though. We'll see. A model teacher makes about $20K more than a 'Professional' teacher.