At a Glance:
To strengthen recruitment and retention efforts in hard-to-fill instructional areas, Lenape Technical School revised its initial teacher salary placement process. By aligning industry-recognized, master-level credentials and experience with the master’s degree column on the salary scale, Lenape is offering competitive compensation that reflects professional expertise—making teaching a more attractive and sustainable career option for high-skill industry professionals.Lenape Technical School is a comprehensive high school serving students in grades eleven and twelve.
Challenge:
Career and Technical Centers across the state are struggling to fill critical teaching vacancies in high-demand trades, particularly in areas such as; health sciences, engineering, information technology and other technical disciplines. Traditional teacher salary schedules often fail to account for the significant value of industry certifications, leading to:
- Pay disparities that discourage industry professionals from transitioning to education
- Recruitment difficulties in specialized CTE fields
- Retention issues due to lack of financial recognition of prior expertise
Solution:
Under the leadership of Director Wes Kuchta, Lenape Technical School implemented a revised salary placement policy that allows select instructors with master-level industry credentials to be placed at the Master’s degree level on the salary schedule. For example:
- An Auto Technology teacher holding an ASE Master Certification would be placed at the same salary level as a teacher holding a Master’s degree.
This policy is targeted specifically at hard-to-fill instructional positions, allowing the school to:
- Value industry-recognized credentials as equivalent to advanced academic degrees
- Offer more competitive starting salaries
- Attract skilled professionals without requiring them to sacrifice earning potential
Impact:
- Expanded recruitment pool, drawing in highly qualified industry professionals
- Improved teacher retention, especially in trades where professionals may otherwise return to higher-paying private-sector jobs
- Increased perception of value and respect for career-specific certifications
- Stronger programs for students, led by instructors with top-tier, real-world expertise
- Replicable model for other comprehensive CTCs seeking to address salary equity and workforce alignment
Contact
Wes Kutcha, CTC Director, kuchwes@lenape.k12.pa.us
Website: https://www.lenape.k12.pa.us/