‘Resolve, To Establish the Study Commission Regarding Teachers' Compensation’

‘Sec. 2. Commission membership. Resolved: That the commission consists of 7 members appointed as follows:

1. One Senator, appointed by the President of the Senate;

2. Three members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House. In appointing members, the Speaker of the House shall consider geographic distribution;

3. One teacher recommended by the President of the Maine Education Association and appointed by the President of the Senate;

4. One superintendent or member of a school board of a school administrative unit, recommended by the President of the Maine School Boards Association and the President of the Maine School Superintendents Association and appointed by the President of the Senate; and

5. One public member holding a professional position outside of public education in human resources management and specializing in compensation, recommended by the Maine State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management and appointed by the Governor; and be it further’

‘Sec. 5. Duties. Resolved: That the commission shall study all issues surrounding teachers' compensation, including salaries and benefits. In conducting its review, the commission shall undertake to examine:

1. The effects on teachers' salaries and benefits of the essential programs and services funding system for public education, including the elements of labor market adjustments, student-teacher ratios and a teachers' salary matrix, and alternatives thereto, including the feasibility of salary differentiations based upon differences in cost of living by region;

2. The effects on teachers' salaries of the minimum teachers' salary law and the existing system of state subsidies for substandard salaries;

3. The relationship between and among teachers' salaries and benefits in school administrative units, the amount and distribution of general purpose aid for local schools and amounts raised locally for the support of public schools;

4. The relationship between teachers' salaries and benefits in this State and in other states;

5. The relationship between teachers' salaries and benefits and salaries and benefits paid to practitioners in other comparable professions;

6. The effects of inflation on the real value of teachers' salaries and the minimum salary amount required by law;

7. Practices in other states that mandate payment of minimum salaries based on experience and education to all teachers and the costs and consequences;

8. Factors relating to the age, experience, recruitment, retention and mobility of the State's corps of professional teachers;

9. Alternatives to salary systems based on college credits or degrees earned and experience, including salary systems based on professional learning, teachers’ performance or other factors;

10. Collective bargaining alternatives in determination of salaries and benefits at the local school administrative unit level; and

11. Any other factors that the commission considers relevant to teachers’ compensation; and be it further’

‘Sec. 7. Information. Resolved: That in the performance of its duties, the commission:

1. May request statistical data and other information from the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, the State Planning Office or other state agencies, which must provide such information in their possession; and

2. Must provide an opportunity for interested persons, organizations and members of the public to address and submit information to the commission; and be it further’