Iowa City School Board Member Patti Fields to Serve on New Commission

Interim Director Magee announces members of new Commission on Educator Leadership and Compensation
 Members Include Iowa City School Board Member Patti Fields 
DES MOINES – Iowa Department of Education Interim Director D.T. Magee today announced the 20 Iowans who will serve on a state commission that will play a key role in implementing the statewide Teacher Leadership and Compensation System, a significant part of the new education reform law adopted by the Iowa Legislature. School districts that pursue state funding for a local teacher leadership system will submit plans to the Commission on Educator Leadership and Compensation. Commission members will evaluate plans and make recommendations on approval to the Iowa Department of Education. “This commission is a crucial part of developing the most ambitious teacher leadership structure in the nation,” Magee said. “To improve student achievement, we must improve the instruction students receive, and there’s no better way to do this than to empower our teachers to lead the effort. We look forward to continuing our work together to provide all children in Iowa a world-class education.” The goal of the Teacher Leadership and Compensation System is to help schools raise student achievement by strengthening classroom instruction. The system allows effective teachers to pursue leadership opportunities for additional pay, attracts promising new teachers with competitive starting salaries and more support, and fosters greater collaboration for all teachers to learn from each other. The new law creates a four-year process for developing a statewide Teacher Leadership and Compensation System, with the first year designated as a planning year. The Commission on Educator Leadership and Compensation represents a cross-section of education stakeholders, including teachers, education associations, parents and business leaders. Members were appointed by the Iowa State Education Association, School Administrators of Iowa, the Iowa Association of School Boards, the Area Education Agencies and the Iowa Department of Education. The commission will meet for the first time on Aug. 14. The meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Room B100 of the Grimes State Office Building. Meetings are open to the public. Members of the Commission on Educator Leadership and Compensation are as follows: Jeff Anderson, Iowa Association of School Boards President-Elect, Boone Mike Beranek, Teacher, West Des Moines Molly Boyle, Teacher, Waukee Mary Jane Cobb, Iowa State Education Association Executive Director, Des Moines Tom Downs, Iowa Association of School Boards Executive Director, Des Moines Kevin Ericson, Teacher, Nevada Ray Feuss, Teacher, Cedar Rapids Patti Fields, School Board Member, Iowa City Paul Gausman, Superintendent, Sioux City Mary Jo Hainstock, Superintendent, Vinton-Shellsburg Donna Lee Huston, Teacher, Twin Cedars Todd Louwagie, Teacher, Algona Diane Pratt, Teacher, Fort Dodge Victoria Robinson, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls Dan Smith, School Administrators of Iowa Executive Director, Clive Brenda Garcia Van Auken, Parent, Muscatine Georgia Van Gundy, Principal Financial Group, Des Moines Paula Vincent, Heartland AEA Administrator, Johnston Ryan Wise*, Iowa Department of Education, Des Moines Dennis Wulf, Superintendent, Norwalk *Non-voting member