CHAPTER 196 - FREE PUBLIC SCHOOLS PROVIDING METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING TEACHERS' SALARY INCREMENTS
AN ACT PROVIDING A METHOD FOR DISTRIBUTING MONEYS APPROPRIATED TO THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR TEACHERS' SALARY INCREMENTS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Delaware in General Assembly met:
Section 1. It is hereby declared to be the policy of the State that school teachers, including teaching principals, teaching in the free public schools of the State, shall be entitled to receive salary increments in accordance with the provisions of this Act from and after the passage hereof.
Section 2. The word "increment" as used herein shall be construed as an additional sum of money to be paid as salary, thereby increasing and augmenting the salary of the school teacher, for improvement in the proficiency of such school teacher as ascertained by a uniform system and standard promulgated by the State Board of Education, based upon a rating of teachers throughout the State.
The rating of teachers shall be ascertained and determined by the use of a teacher's rating card approved by the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules and regulations for the purpose of establishing a system of rating teachers in the School Districts and Special School Districts throughout the State and in the City of Wilmington in order that the system of rating teachers shall be uniform throughout the State.
The efficiency of teachers shall be based upon a total of one hundred points under the following five classifications, to wit:
1--Definiteness of aim,
2--Skill and technique,
3--Class progress,
4--Cooperation,
5--Scholarship and professional growth.
Teachers receiving a total of ninety or more points shall receive an "A" rating; from eighty to eighty-nine and nine-tenths points, a "B" rating; from sixty-five to seventy-nine and nine-tenths points, a "C" rating; from zero to sixty-four and nine-tenths point, a "D" rating. The teachers entitled to increments are those who have qualified as "A", "B", or "C" rated teachers.
Teachers with an "A" rating shall receive an increment of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) per annum; those with a "B" rating, Seventy-five Dollars ($75.00) per annum; those with a "C" rating, Fifty Dollars ($50.00) per annum; provided nevertheless that their certifications are on a college level.
Whenever the teacher's certification is below the college level, then and in that event, teachers with an "A" rating shall receive an increment of Seventy-five Dollars ($75.00) per annum; those with a "B" rating, Fifty Dollars ($50.00) per annum; those with a "C" rating Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) per annum.
Increments shall not be payable when or after the salary of a teacher has reached the maximum as fixed and determined according to the salary schedule of each of the said respective Boards as now or hereafter in effect and approved by the State Board of Education.
A teacher shall not be entitled to increments until he or she has a credit of one year's service in the public schools of the State. One year's service is hereby defined to mean ninety-one teaching days in any one school year.
Section 3. After the passage of this Act, whenever an appropriation shall be made to the State Board of Education for teachers' salary increments the same shall be paid by the State Treasurer as hereinafter provided to the Board of Public Education in Wilmington, and to each of the Boards of Education of the Special School Districts and to the State Board of Education for School Districts on a basis of allotments to be submitted to the State Treasurer by the State Board of Education. The several amounts allotted shall be used by the said respective Boards for the sole purpose of maintaining the principal of salary increments for the proficiency of teachers in accordance with the provisions as herein provided by the regularly adopted salary schedules of the said respective Boards as now or hereafter in effect and approved by the State Board of Education; provided, that on or before September fifteenth of each fiscal year notice shall be furnished the State Treasurer and Auditor of Accounts by the State Board of Education setting forth the total allotments to be made to The Board of Public Education in Wilmington, to each of the Boards of Public Education of the several Special School Districts, and to the State Board of Education for School Districts and any teachers not so certified on or before September fifteenth as herein provided, shall promptly be so certified as and when entitled to increments; and provided further, that said notice of allotments to the State Treasurer and Auditor of Accounts shall also contain the names and the salaries of the teachers of said Board who are entitled to the benefits under the provisions of this Act, and that said notice of allotments shall also set forth the amount of the increment which each of said teachers is to receive in accordance with the aforesaid regularly adopted salary schedules; and further provided that the excess, if any, of any appropriation for teachers' salary increments over the total allotments for each year of the biennium made in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph shall revert to the General Fund of the State Treasury.
Section 4. Any appropriation now or hereafter made to the State Board of Education or made and allotted to any governing authority or board, by whatever name known, of any School District in the State, to carry out the objects and purposes of this Act, shall not be used for any purpose other than the payment of teachers' salary increments.
Approved April 11, 1945.