Email sent to Columbia Public Schools’ teachers after new pay schedule caused ‘anxiety’

Columbia Public Schools is getting ready to implement a new pay schedule increase, but some younger teachers are frustrated with the new salary schedule.

CPS Human Resources Assistant Tonya McCord sent an email to teachers Tuesday regarding the vote to approve a pay increase to teachers. “We know the changes with the salary schedule has caused anxiety,” the email said.

CPS Superintendent Peter Stiepleman gave a presentation representing CPS at Regional Economic Development’s (REDI) Board of Directors’ meeting at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday.

After the presentation was over, ABC 17 News asked Stiepleman about the anxiety teachers are experiencing after Tuesday’s vote to approve a new pay schedule increase.

“When people don’t know, they’re anxious, or that’s a term that one might use, and it sounds like we did,” Stiepleman said.

In his presentation, he focused on the importance of clarity within the district’s communication with its teachers and students.

Teachers expressed concerns about the clarity of the pay schedule increase to ABC 17 News Tuesday, but wanted to remain anonymous.

“I think it’s fair to say we definitely need more guidance about the whole process in general and why they would see it as fair,” one teacher said. “Because there’s so many changes in the district and the curriculum, it just makes me adamant about searching for a job someplace else.”

Stiepleman said teachers have questions about the new pay model, however he believes it is a win-win for everyone because their paychecks are going up. He said teachers have anxieties about it because it is a new pay model.

“In this model they’re winners and they’re winners, so anxiety is typically associated with when you don’t have full information, so I’d encourage people to go talk with our Human Resource department and find out exactly how this impacts them as an educator in terms of their careers,” Stiepleman said.

The email included a link to sign up for private meetings to “sit down and talk to teachers individually to see where they might be placed on the salary schedule.”

Stiepleman said the board of education approved 7 million dollars of new money for both compensation and benefits.

“If you were to ask any of the individuals in that room, we pay 100% of your benefits and so anxiety has to deal with potentially not fully understanding that this is a school district that is investing in its people and what that will mean for them,” Stieplman said.

Stiepleman said what they are doing is part of work that started back in 2015.