districts have,” she acknowledges. “However, we’ve invested a lot of work and strategy into ensuring that when we do recruit teachers into our system we can retain them. We have a teacher mentorship program in which our new teachers are paired with a mentor and receive ongoing support that’s tailored specifically to their needs.”Additionally, an in-house alternative certification program assists educators in obtaining their credentials, with the support of teacher mentees. SDIRC has also placed a strong emphasis on celebrating teacher achievements. “Teaching is a complex job, and we know that it’s important not only to support them but to recognize them for their accomplishments,” Dr. Jacobs asserts, adding that labor negotiations have successfully elevated the average starting salary from $48,358 to $55,892, surpassing the state average. Kelly Baysura, Assistant Superintendent, details the district’s continued investment in improving classroom instruction and educator satisfaction. She expands, “Teaching is an isolated act you go in, you close your door, and you are alone. We increased teacher quality by adding efficiencies through the collaborative planning model, where once a week, our teachers come together to collaborate on that work. So, there’s a support system that’s built right in.” FINANCIAL RESTRUCTURING Dr. Moore discusses the financial strategies that have guided the district out of financial crisis, sharing that at one point SDIRC was spending $1.37 for every dollar received from the state. “Not only was the district academically bankrupt, but it was fiscally on the verge of bankruptcy as well,” he illustrates. “One of the things that we are proudest about is the creation of a very strategic plan to right-size the budget.” This involved creating a school-based model to allocate teachers based on student numbers and reducing district-level positions while protecting school site staff.The district has also sought out new revenue sources through aggressive grant writing, adding $4 million to the budget in the first year with them, to ensure that we are preparing their mechanics, welders, and metal machine operators,” Moore conveys. Through the CTE program, SDIRC has also established strong partnerships with local hospitals, retirement homes, car dealerships, and other businesses that support student internships and training. TEACHER RETENTION AND SUPPORT Chief of Staff, Dr. Christina Jacobs, highlights the district’s strategic efforts to retain teachers, which she says resulted in a 95% retention rate for the 2022-2023 school year. “We have not experienced the severity of teacher shortage that maybe other 4 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 07BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 01
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