Support staff advocate argues they should not be excluded from teacher raises

Dr. Ellen Solway spoke to the board on behalf of Carrie Anderson, a literacy coach with 21 years in the Lake County School District, and asked the board to consider support staff when awarding raises. "If we don't qualify for the classroom teacher raise, then why are we on the same pay scale?" Solway asked, noting that support staff run PLCs, mentor teachers, provide interventions and perform duties that sustain classroom instruction.

Solway framed the issue in the district's stated theme "all means all," and said excluding support staff would create an avoidable divide. The speaker urged the district to reconcile pay policies so that staff who perform instructional supports receive equitable compensation.