Teachers taking ‘easy’ classes for raises
PORTLAND, Ore. – Some Portland teachers are using taxpayer money to take graduate-level courses on topics such as quilting, yoga, personal finance and even an Alaskan cruise. By doing so, they can move up the pay ladder faster, the Willamette Week newspaper found.
English teacher Byrdene Schneider got five credits for an Alaskan cruise and the district picked up the $415 tuition.
“It was just a fantastic class; I really enjoyed it,” Schneider said. “One thing I really enjoyed about it was the poetry … and that’s something I could share with my students.”
She also expressed excitement on another class, which sent her to Australia. Indeed, as long as an accredited university endorses a class it becomes eligible for the paid-tuition and teacher-raise programs.
“You have to wonder if there might be something that’s more relevant,” said Willamette Week reporter Beth Slovic.
According to Slovic’s report, Portland teachers have two ways of moving up the pay ladder. The first is through annual cost-of-living increases and increases based on experience that end after 12 years. The second is by taking graduate-level college courses.
Slovic found that after teachers complete 15 credits, they get a raise of $2,000 to $3,000. Half of Portland teachers now make about $70,000 a year – the highest level of pay a teacher in Portland can earn.
Slovic said she decided to see what kinds of classes the teachers are taking. While she found numerous examples of appropriate classes, she said “a lot of teachers admitted that some of these classes were easy.”
"All of the course work the teachers take are either related to an advanced degree, to licensure, or to their specific assignment," said Rebecca Levison, with the Portland Association of Teachers. When Levison was asked how an Alaskan cruise related to a specific assignment she said, “Well, I guess I would say I’m not sure about that."
Levison said interesting courses make for well-rounded, relevant teachers.
“It’s one thing to take a class at PSU and you get this sort of book knowledge in the class (which) can be helpful, but a lot of times what teachers are craving are hands on activities,” she said.
The district recently turned down classes like estate planning and deck building.