Teachers and principals interested in securing jobs within the Ypsilanti Community Schools district can begin applying friday, after the joint school board approved the selection process and timeline Thursday to fill the positions.
Although officials have yet to reveal how many jobs will be filled, Washtenaw Intermediate School District Superintendent Scott Menzel announced the pay scale for teachers within the new district.
The unified Ypsilanti-Willow Run school board.
AnnArbor.com file photo
Menzel said the new district's teacher wages will range from $40,000 to $82,000.
"The board established terms and conditions on how to create the model," Menzel said. "We wanted to debunk the notion that all teachers are getting hired at step one."
According to district documents, teachers within the YPS school district currently recieve a range of salaries from $36,500 to $83,819.
Menzel said the district leaders wanted to create wages more in line with salaries across the county.
"We're trying to create something that's defensible and can attract top talent," Menzel said. "We're working on a similar structure for principals."
Naomi Norman, WISD Director of Achievement Initiatives, helped create the "aggressive" search timeline with the High Quality Teachers and Teaching Selection Committee.
Principals, teachers and other staff will be laid off and their contracts severed on June 30 when Ypsilanti and Willow Run dissolve.
Classroom, elective and special education teachers can begin applying for jobs Friday, March 1, as well as teacher consultants and principals.
"It's a very aggressive timeline," Norman said.
See the timeline below:
The timeline outlining the hiring and selection process of teachers and principals within the Ypsilanti Community Schools district has been approved.
Courtesy Naomi Norman
Applications for internal teacher applicants are due March 15 and internal principals must apply by March 6, Norman said.
After the internal applications are received, teacher selection teams — comprised of one administrator, two teachers and one parent — will conduct classroom visits and interviews March 18 through April 22.
"There’s a lot going on in that window and we will have four teams operating all day every day," Norman said."They will have a team visit them and then have a very short interview on their site."We want to be where they're most comfortable."
External applicants will not be considered until the beginning of May, Norman said.
"We won't consider them until we've made the decision on all of the internal candidates," Norman said.
Teams consisting of two administrators, one teacher and one parent will also be put in place for principal selections.
Norman said retired administrators and teachers, as well as faculty from neighboring universities will be included in the process. Each member will receive training to ensure consistency, Norman said.
"We’re very concerned that these four people on the team understand the gravity and have training and are consistent as they review the materials," Norman said. " In the end, we are not saying we want to pick the best "X-percent," we want to pick the people that demonstrate commitment. We're looking for people that are always wanting to learn and grow."
While conducting classroom visits and interviews, the following rubric will be used:
This rubric will be used in determining which teachers and principals will be hired.
Courtesy Naomi Norman
Karla Graessley, Estabrook Elementary School principal, is part of the committee that will helped create the rubric for the positions.
"I think it's really important to have high quality teachers in the program," Graessley said. "I’m very impressed with our committee. We have this very eclectic group that all bring a different facet."
Vice President Don Garrett expressed concern over how the committees will be split up to ensure that candidates from both Willow Run and Ypsilanti are given a fair chance.
"Not only do we want them balanced, we also want to make sure that people that are familiar with the buildings go to different buildings,"Graessley said. "We will make sure we take our team and mix them up so we can have fresh eyes."
Board President David Bates and Garrett inquired whether the two associate superintendents, Dedrick Martin and Laura Lisiscki, would be involved in the selection process.
"The board will end up casting the motion to hire the teachers," Bates said. "Part of it is the superintendents' responsibility that people are of the highest caliber... . I think it is important to be clear where the buck stops."
"We are part of the committe and we are going to be part of the process," Lisiscki said.
All teachers will receive an email Friday, notifying them that the positions are open and links have been posted on the unified district's website.
Terrance Green is serving as a parent member of the committee tasked with selecting the principals and teachers. Green lives in the Lincoln School District, but chose to come to enroll his two children in the Ypsilanti Public School District instead.
"We make the trip to come here every day, and the reason I chose (to participate on) this committee was because I wanted the people in front of my children to have strong values," Green said.
An employee assistance program will be put in place, Norman said, to help current employees who are not selected, to transition elsewhere. Norman said the employees will be given career counseling and social-emotional supports.
"They spend as much time around my children as I do," Green said. "If you can't perform 100 percent, then you shouldn’t be in front of my children. We are here to stay and we don’t want to be let down by anyone."
Katrease Stafford covers Ypsilanti for AnnArbor.com.Reach her at katreasestafford@annarbor.com or 734-623-2548 and follow her on twitter.