MADISON, Wis. — Teachers hesitant to work this summer may have a new incentive to do so as Madison Metropolitan School District administrators explore new options for increasing pay.
During Monday night’s school board meeting, district administrators suggested increasing pay for teachers working summer school. The move comes after last summer’s severe staffing shortage resulted in hundreds of students having to be unenrolled.
In 2021, summer school staff made $40 per hour, while last summer, they earned $28 per hour. The new recommendation for this summer is to bring back the $40-per-hour wage.
Local leaders with Madison Teachers Inc., the union representing teachers and other staff in the district, said that while they aren’t ready to comment on this specific proposal, they do advocate for increased access to summer school.
“We want to make sure that we’re making things better for a better future and that means investing in our kids,” MTI president Michael Jones said, “and that’s not just a September-to-June sort of commitment, that’s a year-round commitment even if school isn’t technically in session for a certain number of students or staff.”
District estimates put the proposed change cost at about $700,000, putting a total six-week program cost at $3.4 million. This would allow for 4,000 students to enroll in summer school courses.
A vote on this increased wage could come as early as later this month.
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