Revisions to Principal Compensation in North Carolina
In a House education reform meeting, two of North Carolina’s Regional Principals of the Year presented proposals to revise the state’s principal pay plan. The North Carolina Principals Association (NCPAPA) representatives highlighted concerns regarding the current system, emphasizing its heavy reliance on test scores, which may deter principals from working in underperforming or high-poverty schools.
The existing principal salary structure in North Carolina is linked to Average Daily Membership (ADM) and school growth. While the pay scale was updated in 2018 to raise salaries, Dr. John Lassiter and Ashley Faulkenberry suggested adjustments to enhance pay stability and retain exceptional principals in their roles.
The proposed revisions aim to introduce a retention bonus and consider additional factors such as the number of multilingual students and those experiencing homelessness, alongside school performance and size. The focus is on maintaining pay stability and acknowledging the challenges faced by principals in diverse school settings.
Rethinking Performance-Based Pay Calculation
A survey by NCPAPA revealed that around 21% of North Carolina principals feel that performance-based pay constitutes a significant portion of their total salary. The current growth score metric overlooks achievements in science, history, career education, and dual-enrollment courses.
While advocating for retaining performance pay, Lassiter suggested reducing the emphasis on growth targets in the current plan. The proposal suggests reallocating funds from growth scores to bolster the base pay for principals, aiming to create a more equitable compensation structure.
Addressing Principal Retention Challenges
High turnover rates among principals, especially in high-poverty schools, prompted NCPAPA to propose retention bonuses based on years of experience. Additionally, a complexity model is proposed to determine pay tiers, considering factors beyond school size to reflect the unique demands of each school environment.
The presentation highlighted the need to incentivize experienced principals to remain in challenging school settings, emphasizing the pivotal role of school leadership in overall academic success.
Lawmakers’ Response and Future Steps
Lawmakers engaged in discussions regarding the proposed changes, expressing concerns about maintaining incentives for growth in test scores while acknowledging the importance of recognizing the complexities of school environments in pay structures. The fiscal impact of the proposed revisions is under review, with ongoing deliberations expected to refine the plan further.
The House Select Committee on Education Reform is set to finalize discussions on these revisions in their upcoming meeting, recognizing the critical role of effective school leadership in shaping the education landscape.
Screenshot from presentation on revisions to principal pay.
Note: The content is based on a presentation discussing revisions to principal pay in North Carolina, focusing on enhancing pay stability, addressing retention challenges, and recalibrating performance-based pay structures.