10/26/2021
A message to the board written by Scott Brown, School Counselor at Shorewood High School.
Dear Shorewood School District Board Members and Administrators:
My name is Scott Brown, and I am one of the school counselors at Shorewood High School. This will be my sixth year within the Shorewood School District.
I want to express my concern and opposition to the elimination of steps and lanes within the teacher salary schedule. After an incredibly difficult year, in which teachers and other staff were asked to figure out how to teach and connect with students in a virtual world, with little support or guidance, taking away this bedrock of financial stability for teachers is, frankly, very disappointing. Eliminating this salary structure will continue to devalue the profession of education, making it more difficult to attract and retain talented teachers who can serve students with diverse needs.
How can a new teacher see a way to advance if this salary structure is eliminated? What incentive does a new or veteran teacher have to stay in this district if they cannot see a way to move up financially, if battles over salary become a recurring issue every year? Education as a profession has already become a far less valued career; fewer and fewer people want to become teachers. Actions like this make recruitment and retention even harder. Steps and lanes need to be a budget priority, not a last minute, year-to-year decision.
When I chose to leave Nicolet High School for Shorewood High School six years ago, a huge part of my willingness to leave another good district was the attractive and stable salary schedule within the Shorewood School District. Personally, eliminating steps this year will affect my family negatively, particularly as the cost of goods and services rises post lockdown.
This potential move by the school board does not engender loyalty within the district, nor does it respect teachers and staff. Honestly, it is tiring having to continually advocate for this profession in a post Act 10 world, to ensure that it receives the societal respect it deserves. Ultimately, I urge the school board to rescind this proposal and reinstate steps and lanes. I also urge the school board and district administrators to make steps and lanes a priority within the budget each and every year. Doing so will continue to make the school district an attractive place to work.
Sincerely,
Scott Brown
