Wednesday, September 27, 2000
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Wednesday, September 27, 2000 |
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Huddleston Elementary staff rewarded for performance The staff at Huddleston Elementary School will receive an early Christmas nest egg in the near future when $110,000 arrives from the state to be distributed to certified staff and to be used for school equipment. The money is part of the state education system's Pay for Performance program that provides to individual schools $2,000 for every certified staff member, based on a system report sent to the state. Huddleston has 55 certified staff members, thus qualifying the school for the $110,000. But certified staff will not be the only beneficiaries of this windfall. "Although the money is intended for and based on certified employees, we feel strongly that as a family, everyone worked hard and deserved a portion of the money," said Huddleston Principal Becky Maddox. "Therefore, we decided to include non-certified staff as well." The decision on division of the money was made by a select committee, and was based on a survey sent out to the entire faculty. In determining how to divide the money, the committee went with what the majority of the surveys said as far as who should get the money and how much. All staff had certain pre-arranged objectives to complete in order to qualify for the award. The money will be awarded to staff members who completed the objectives and were employed for the 1999-2000 school year, based on the following percentages: certified staff 79.5 percent, or about $1,600 per full-time employee; instructional parapros 13.5 percent, or $870 each; office/clerical 2.5 percent ($680 each); full-time custodians .5 percent ($180 each); cafeteria staff 1 percent ($180 each). In addition, the committee decided to allocate 3 percent ($3,000) to purchase something for the school that would benefit everyone. "We don't know when the check will arrive from the state," Maddox told her staff during a celebration to announce the awards. "As soon as it does the exact amounts will be determined. Each eligible staff member will receive a personal check, or checks if the money is received in parts, for that amount." Lynda Lambeth, who was principal of Huddleston last year and could take a great deal of credit for the award, joined the festivities to read the letter from the state. She drew whoops and hollers from the staff when she read the line that informed them that they had successfully completed the program. Maddox, in her first year as principal at Huddleston, told her staff that she was proud of their accomplishment. "I knew I was inheriting a professional staff with a great deal of pride in their accomplishments and their work," she said. "This money is a tangible sign that your work has been recognized and rewarded."
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