Some Wake teachers will get $2k bonuses for new training

Wake County Public School System teachers who complete required training for the state’s new reading curriculum could earn bonuses of up to $2,000 over the next two school years.

The Wake County Board of Education approved the bonuses during its consent agenda Tuesday. The school system first proposed the idea to the school board in April, when it was discussed along with calendar changes to accommodate for training.

The bonuses will be paid for with federal COVID-19 stimulus funds. The state’s nearly $50 million contract for the training is also funded using stimulus money.

The bonuses would largely go to kindergarten through fifth-grade teachers. Pre-kindergarten teachers, who don’t have to do as much training, would be eligible for up to $1,000.

The school system estimates the bonuses would cost about $16 million over this year and next year — the duration of much of the training.

The North Carolina General Assembly is requiring all public schools to conduct two years of training on reading instruction for K-5 teachers totaling 137.5 to 168 total estimated hours of work, or the equivalent of 17 to 21 eight-hour workdays.

The requirement has been a headache for teachers who have taken on more responsibilities during the pandemic and who have other professional development requirements. Some teachers in the state have reported having to do their training on weekends. Other school boards have approved bonuses for teachers doing the training, also using stimulus funds.

As a part of the vote Tuesday, the board also approved a $125 stipend — outlined in the state budget — for any teacher who attends the training outside of the instructional day or school calendar. That would be paid in the event training needs to take place on a “makeup day,” such as a Saturday.