More than 1,200 Idaho educators received a salary incentive known as a master educator premium.
The State Board of Education this week awarded some 87 percent of applicants the premiums, which are designed to reward Idaho’s highest-performing veteran teachers.
The state is providing $4,000 per year – renewable for three years – to educators who meet the program’s requirements. To qualify, educators must have at least eight years of classroom experience and submit a detailed portfolio documenting evidence of mastery.
The State Board estimated between 8,000 and 10,000 educators probably met the state’s application requirements, but only 1,400 applied. Some educators have said they devoted 80 to 120 hours to organizing their portfolios and completing the application.
Educators had to turn in their applications and portfolios in July.
The master educator premium was included in the career ladder legislation passed in 2015 as a way to reward veteran teachers in the Gem State. (Idaho State Board of Education, IdahoEdNews.org)
