Some educators who will return to their roles in Loudoun County, Virginia, next year are poised to get one-time bonuses, as part of a plan to retain teachers in hard-to-fill jobs.
At Tuesday’s school board meeting, Chief Human Resources Officer Lisa Boland said the school district is rolling out three new employee incentives, with an emphasis on roles at Title I schools and special education positions.
“This program is designed to reward those who continue their service in these essential positions, ensuring stability and support for our students during the upcoming school year,” Boland said.
For one, returning employees such as special education teachers, or other special education licensed staff, will get a $2,000 bonus.
Staff members who are occupational or physical therapists, speech therapists or special education teacher assistants, among others, are eligible. They must have remained in an eligible position on Oct. 1, and can’t have been hired on an end-of-year contract.
The $2,000 bonus also applies to educators who return to a Title I school, including teachers of all subjects and grade levels, and other licensed staff workers, such as school counselors, librarians and test coordinators, among others.
Because employees can only get the bonus once, a special education teacher who returns to a Title I school would get one bonus not two, according to school board documents.
For the 2022-2023 school year, attrition rates for licensed employees at Title I schools were “significantly higher” than at those that aren’t Title I, Boland said.
“While attrition rates for licensed special education positions were similar to those in non-special education roles, filling these positions has consistently been a challenge,” Boland said.
As part of the plan, teachers who accept a lateral transfer into a special education teaching position or teaching role at a Title I school will also be eligible for the $2,000 bonus.
“By offering this incentive, we acknowledge their choice to transition into hard-to-fill special education roles or positions within Title I schools,” Boland said.
Meanwhile, to help recruitment efforts, the school division is also changing how much teaching experience gets counted toward the overall pay scale when a teacher is hired. Previously, the district allowed a maximum of 15 years of experience to count toward where a teacher falls on the salary scale. The plan presented at the meeting, though, removes that maximum limit.
The change, Boland said, will help make Loudoun “more competitive in attracting experienced educators.”
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