Retaining Effective Teachers Policy
Montana supports incentives for teachers earned by teaching certain subjects and in high-needs schools. Montana code mandates that the board of education publish an annual report of "areas identified as impacted by critical quality educator shortages." Teachers working at those schools and in certain subject areas who qualify are eligible for repayment of all or part of their education loans existing at the time of the application, for up to a maximum of four years and not to exceed $3,000.
Teachers who are National Board Certified are eligible to receive a one-time $3,000 salary stipend. However, this differential pay is not tied to high-needs schools or subject-area shortage
Expand differential pay initiatives for teachers in both shortage subject-areas and high-needs schools.
Although the state's loan repayment program is a desirable recruitment and retention tool for teachers early in their careers, Montana should expand its program to include those already part of the teaching pool. A salary differential is an attractive incentive for every teacher, not just those with education debt.
Support differential pay for teachers in high-needs schools.
Montana should consider tying its National Board supplement to teaching in a high-needs school. This differential pay could be an incentive to attract some of the state's most effective teachers to its low-performing schools.
Montana declined to respond to NCTQ's analyses.