Preach the good news to all creation Mark 16:15 Dear Brother, Enclosed is an application form for requesting a Lutheran Elementary School teacher from Martin Luther College. Also enclosed is a called worker compensation form which must be returned along with the application. It is important to list compensation and benefits including housing. Graduates will be assigned only to those congregations that are at or near synod code for salary and housing. Another form included indicates the direction you want the Assignment Committee to follow should a candidate possessing the specific gifts and abilities you are seeking not be available. In order that the individual who is assigned to your congregation or school may have his/her Call on Assignment Day, I would ask that you include the appropriate Call document signed by the appropriate individuals. Should you received a graduate, I will fill in his or name at the time the assignment is made. Call forms for teachers may be obtained online at Northwestern Publishing House s website: http://online.nph.net/elementary-teacher-call-form.html or http://online.nph.net/high-school-teacher-call-form.html The forms that follow are in a PDF fillable format. You will need Adobe Reader or some other PDF capable program (not Microsoft Edge). You can type in your information and email it back to the District President. Email attachment is preferred. If you prefer to have the forms as an RTF file, request the same by e-mail. These documents should be in my office as close to May 1 st as possible so that I may have the appropriate information to share with the Assignment Committee. In His Service, LES Teacher Request Form - page 1
Application For MLC Graduate Date: We, of (name of congregation) (city and state) hereby formally petition the Synodical Assignment Committee to assign to us a graduate of Martin Luther College. In doing so, we place our confidence in our Lord Jesus Christ to provide for the needs of His church, as well as our confidence in the divinity of the Call as it is carried out through the Assignment Committee. We commit ourselves to adequately provide for the support of the graduate who is assigned to us. In the name of: (name of institution or board) (President) (Secretary) LES Teacher Request Form - page 2
REQUEST FOR TEACHING CANDIDATE FROM THE ASSIGNMENT COMMITTEE Due at the District President s office by May 1, 2018 Congregation/School: ID # Street: Phone: City, State, Zip: E-Mail: MLC Call Service: May 12, 2018 Male teacher Female Either Married: Single: Either Grades to be taught: Pupils in each grade in room: Number of pupils in the room: Total enrollment of school: Number of rooms in the school: Called worker being replaced: Reason for replacement: or New Position created as of: Duties: Mark ONLY what applies. Our gracious God has not given all of our candidates all of these gifts. Remember, the more restrictive you are in duties, the smaller the potential list of candidates. Because of the availability of teachers and the gifts the Lord has given to them, the Assignment Committee may need to assign a candidate who has been blessed with some, but not all of the gifts you desire. Place an X behind each desired duty. After you ve Xed the appropriate duties, rank them in order of importance beginning with 1 as most important. This ranking will be used as a guide in assignment. Duty X Rank Duty X Rank Duty X Rank Administration Cross Country Computer Athletic Director Football Band/Instrumental Class Advisor Golf Choir Director A Dean of Students Soccer Choir Director Y Department Chair Softball Handbells ECE Director Tennis Organ Guidance Track Piano Librarian Volleyball Counseling Principal Wrestling Bible Classes, Adult Recruitment Director Bookstore Bible Classes, Youth Vice Principal Drama/Forensics Sunday School Sup Deaconess Newspaper/Yearbook Sunday School Tea Evangelism Sign Language Vacation Bible School Youth Discipleship Staff Ministry Athletics/Coaching Family Education Baseball Supervision Music Basketball Dormitory Tutor Cheerleading Student Teacher S Youth Groups LES Teacher Request Form - page 3
Departmentalized subjects: Mark ONLY IF you departmentalize. Mark ONLY what applies. Remember, the more restrictive you are in departmentalization requests, the more difficult it may be to fill this assignment. Because of the availability of graduates and the gifts the Lord has given to them, the assignment may be filled by someone who has been blessed with some, but not all of the desired gifts. Place an X behind each desired departmentalized subject. After you ve Xed the appropriate subjects, rank them in order of importance beginning with 1 as most important. This ranking will be used as a guide in assigning a candidate. Subject X Rank Subject X Rank Subject X Rank Art Earth Religion Business Physical Social Studies Typing Physics Economics Accounting Composition Geography Communication Literature History Drama/Forensics As Second Language Political Science Journalism Foreign Language Music Sign Language German Band/Instrumental Speech Latin Choir Director, A Computer Spanish Choir Director, Y Education Language Arts Choral Special Ed Reading Handbells Spec Ed - Gifted/T Spelling Organ Spec Ed - Learning Writing Piano English Mathematics Physical Education Psychology Algebra Health Science Calculus Practical Arts Biology Geometry Drivers Education Chemistry Trigonometry Home Economics Shop What are the two most important teaching qualifications which you desire in the teacher? 1. 2.. What are the two most important responsibilities for the teacher outside of the classroom? 1.. 2. List the three greatest strengths of your school: 1. 2. 3. List the three greatest needs of your school: 1. 2. 3. LES Teacher Request Form - page 4
The greatest challenge our school faced in this past year is: The greatest challenge our school faces in the coming year is: Particular needs, requests, unique challenges, and other comments: LES Teacher Request Form - page 5
Salary Considerations: As congregations prepare to request a call or come to the assignment committee, the Conference of Presidents wants to underscore that it considers the base salary of the code to be a reasonable wage. This would include benefits such as VEBA, pension, housing, half of Social Security, and mileage. Congregations not presently at code should present a plan that would bring the salary to the level of mission code within three years and provide an annual report to the District president regarding their progress. In order for the Assignment Committee to consider a request for a graduate, the congregation is required to use the WELS Compensation Calculator: https://cwcompcalc.wels.net/ Use Graduate as the called worker s name. There is an instructional video to explain the purpose and use of the online calculator: https://vimeo.com/225001187 There is a Compensation Guidelines document that can be downloaded: https://cwcompcalc.wels.net/assets/welscompensationguidelines.pdf Upon calculating the graduate s total compensation (salary, housing, and benefits), print the results as a pdf document and attach it to this form. When saving the pdf name it in a manner that indicates it is for your congregation: Example: Compensation for Mount Olive Appleton Teacher Graduate You may refer to the accompanying instruction sheet for additional information on each line item. NOTE: Because we are blessed with second-career graduates, please indicate whether or not the congregation is willing to adjust the base salary to reflect prior work experience and to begin compensation at a level higher than that of a first-year teacher: We can adjust compensation upwards based on prior career experience: Yes If yes: We can adjust salary upward to a maximum equivalent of years of experience. No LES Teacher Request Form - page 6
Application for Teacher Candidate instructions Base salary: Base salary amounts are available from the synod salary code table (obtain a current copy from the WELS Human Resources Department). Typical compensation columns for teachers are A-D. Housing allowance: If you are not providing a residence for the teacher to live in, he or she will need to rent or purchase a home to live in. The base salary does not include the housing allowance. The housing allowance is based upon the HUD fair market rental value of homes in your area. The monthly allowance figure is available from the HUD website. Use the 3-bedroom amount under most circumstances. If you expect your teacher to maintain an office at home, use the 4-bedroom amount. Multiply the monthly HUD figure by 12 to get the annual amount. +2% equity allowance: If the congregation is providing a residence for the called worker to live in, the salary is to be adjusted upward by 2% of the base salary to compensate for the equity that he will not be gaining from owning his own home. Total salary: Add the base salary, COLI adjustment, and the housing allowance or equity allowance. Social security assistance: Male teachers are considered to be employees of the congregation for income tax purposes, but they are considered to be self-employed for Social Security purposes. This means that male teachers are responsible for paying their own self-employment tax to the Social Security Administration. The synod code provides for congregations to add 7.65% to the Total salary to assist male teachers with this additional obligation. Female teachers are not considered Ministers of the Gospel for tax purposes. They are considered employees of the congregation and will have federal and state tax withheld from their paychecks, as well as withholding for Social Security and Medicare taxes. You do not need to include an amount on this line for Female teachers. Travel allowance: Some congregations include in the compensation a fixed amount to cover anticipated travel expenses (mileage costs). Other congregations request that the teacher submit reimbursement requests for non-commuting, school- and church-related mileage actually driven. If you provide a fixed mileage compensation, include the annual amount here. Additional benefits provided under synod code compensation: 1. Coverage in a family medical plan, WELS VEBA or equivalent. $1,000 deductible is the baseline. 2. Coverage for long-term disability. 3. Participation in WELS pension plan. The congregation will pay pension premiums to the WELS Benefit Plans Office. 4. Paid vacation, according to synod schedule: 0-7 years of service: 2 weeks 8-15 years of service: 3 weeks 16+ years of service: 4 weeks LES Teacher Request Form - page 7
Directions To The Assignment Committee Should a candidate possessing the specific skills/gifts/grade level you are looking for not be available among the graduates, what direction would like the District President to give to the Assignment Committee? Please indicate the order of your preferences by marking them with a 1 2 3 and 4. Assign a candidate who fills as many of the requirements of the Call as possible. (This assumes that the Assignment Committee would continue to try to honor your preference of male or female if you indicated such a preference). Assign a female candidate possessing the skills/gifts we desire, if no male candidate with those skills/gifts is available. (This assumes you requested a male candidate.) OR Assign a male candidate possessing the skills/gifts we desire, if no female candidate with those skills/gifts is available. (This assumes you requested a female candidate.) Assign, if available, a male a female either candidate for a 1 year Call to carry out the classroom duties, and we will call from the field during the year to meet our specific needs. Do not assign a candidate, but withdraw our Call from consideration. ASSEMBLING YOUR CALL PACKET Please compile your call packet that will be presented to the candidate following the call service. You may use the following checklist for items to be included with the call packet: Completed call form. A number of call forms are available for download from the website of Northwestern Publishing House free of charge. Cover letter to the candidate, including details about your congregation, your community, special ministry opportunities, etc. Make sure the letter includes contact information for key individuals in the congregation. Additional information of interest about your community, materials from the Chamber of Commerce, etc. (These additions to your call packet are optional.) DIRECTION FOR SAVING AND RETURNING this document: 1. Before you begin to change the file, select SAVE AS as the method of saving it. 2. Use a file name that is peculiar to you. What will usually work is your congregation s name and the date you are sending the file to me: e.g. MountOliveMar2018. 3. Make changes and additions to it and email it back to me as a PDF document. 4. If you do not have PDF capabilities, you can print the document and fill it out. Please your completed document and send it back as an e-mail attachment. 5. If you prefer a RTF document, please send an e-mail requesting the same. 6. Attach the PDF printout of your compensation information. LES Teacher Request Form - page 8
WELS New Teacher Induction When requesting a new graduate, the calling body needs to be aware of the blessings of and responsibilities for the New Teacher Induction (NTI) process. WELS NTI is a process that uses Christian teaching standards and a teacher continuum to support teachers in their first years of the teaching ministry. (see cover letter below) Collaboration between the principal/director, the new teacher, and a trained instructional mentor create a culture of on-going professional development with an emphasis on student learning. The calling body s required financial support assists in a portion of the costs of implementing WELS NTI that include instructional mentor training, substitute teacher stipend, travel, and on-going professional development for the new teacher, mentor, director, and principal. Responsibilities of the calling body include the following: Cooperate with the Conference of Presidents, Commission on Lutheran Schools, and the mentor in the mentoring process Commit to helping beginning teachers, principals/administrators/directors, and instructional mentors to receive on-going professional development Pray for all involved in the instructional mentoring process Pay the appropriate fees for being involved in new teacher induction WELS New Teacher Induction Fees to be paid by the calling body Year one $1000 Year two $1000 The required fee helps cover part of the following costs: Mentor training @ $2000 Consortium membership @ $3500 Mentor mileage @ $.45/mile Substitute teacher @ $107.65/day x 4-12 days A New Teacher Induction Seminar will be held for the Northern Wisconsin District at a time and location to be determined. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please return the above information to the District President s office by May 1. Remember: Submit a completed Divine Call form and cover letter along with the above information. LES Teacher Request Form - page 9
Dear Partners in Ministry, As plans are being made in considering calling a beginning teacher to enter the teaching ministry to assist in carrying out the Christian training of young people, be assured that another branch of ministry is ready to support the new teacher and principal/director. WELS New Teacher Induction (NTI) is a system that uses Christian teaching standards and a teacher continuum to support teachers for their first years of the teaching ministry. Collaboration between the principal, director, the new teacher, and a trained instructional mentor, as well as our Synod (Commission on Lutheran Schools; CLS) and Martin Luther College create a culture of on-going professional development with an emphasis on student learning. When a new teacher, ECM director or principal apprentice is assigned to a school, the process of assigning an instructional mentor begins. An instructional mentor is expected to provide support through on-going observations, coaching strategies and collaboration to move the development of the teaching practice forward, but also to be a part of a spiritual support team. An overview of WELS NTI is provided on the following pages. The summary includes a description of the roles and responsibilities. One responsibility of the congregation is financial support; $1000 per year for a new teacher s first two years. This financial support assists in supporting a portion of the total costs of implementing WELS NTI including instructional mentor training, substitute teacher stipend, travel, and on-going professional development for the new teacher, mentor, and principal/director. CLS will transfer coordination of these efforts to Martin Luther College beginning next school year. The following verse reminds and encourages us in our varying roles in ministry as new teachers, mentors, principals, and directors. What a privilege it is to serve! What a joy it is to serve and support each other in faith and in works of service! It was Christ who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13. May our Savior-God enrich, equip, and advance your ministry in furthering the kingdom! Jim Rademan Katherine Horn Professor Jon Schaefer CLS Director Interim Coordinator WELS NTI MLC - NTI Coordinator jim.rademan@wels.net klynnhorn@gmail.com schaefjm@mlc-wels.edu 414-256-3220 414-331-9309 507-766-9674 LES Teacher Request Form - page 10
WELS New Teacher Induction Mission: Advance the culture of learning and instruction in WELS schools by fostering teachers faithfulness to their calling. Motivated by Christ s love, as educators, we believe. That pursuing high standards in all areas is the appropriate response to God s grace. That professionalism should be apparent in all we do. That our relationship with our Savior and others has the greatest value. That we are to hold each other accountable as Christians and professionals in a respectful way. In finding solutions that focus on each student s success. Mentor Roles and Responsibilities Instructional mentors work with the beginning teacher and principal to: Encourage beginning teachers to be faithful servants of Jesus Christ Encourage the spiritual growth/development of new teachers Coach and assist beginning teachers with curriculum development, classroom management, instructional strategies, lesson planning, assessment of student performance and all aspects of their professional development Assist/support beginning teachers in developing a learning goal Assist/support beginning teachers in developing a Ministry Development Plan Assist the beginning teachers to maintain a reflective journal/formative assessment tool portfolio Plan, participate in and facilitate support in professional development activities for beginning teachers Participate in principal/instructional mentor/beginning teacher orientation Provide feedback on program effectiveness with principals, lead mentors and Commission on Lutheran Schools office Comply with Commission on Lutheran Schools Mentor Accountability Log Mentoring Process Introduce roles and responsibilities of the induction participants Maintain collaborative partnership with principal/administrator Identify instructional processes through strategic teaching Discuss best practices in classroom management Plan formal meetings between mentor and beginning teacher Conduct timely classroom observations Create a Ministry Development Plan Encourage attendance of beginning teacher professional development opportunities Use formative assessment tools with fidelity Support The Conference of Presidents Work with Commission on Lutheran Schools, Martin Luther College and the calling congregations to promote and advance the mentoring process Communicate with a congregation that receives a new graduate their required participation in the mentoring process Encourage congregations to work with teachers who will over a two-year period grow in the teaching ministry LES Teacher Request Form - page 11
The Commission on Lutheran Schools (Martin Luther College 7/01/2014) Adopt the roles and responsibilities that govern the mentoring process Supervise the mentoring process through coordinator and lead mentors Cooperate with the Conference of Presidents, Martin Luther College and the calling congregations to promote and advance the mentoring process Approve appointments of lead mentors Assume all expenses incurred by the training of mentors and lead mentors Provide an honorarium for mentors Principals/Administrators/Directors Encourage teachers to be faithful servants of Jesus Christ Collaborates with teachers and instructional mentors Clearly communicates policies and procedures of school and church Engages in leadership of instruction Conducts regular formative observations Supervised curriculum implementation Develops a trusting partnership with teachers and instructional mentor Congregation/School/Early Learning Center Cooperate with the Conference of Presidents, Commission on Lutheran Schools and the mentor in the mentoring process Be committed to helping beginning teachers, principals/administrators and instructional mentors to receive on-going professional development Pray for all involved in the instructional mentoring process Pay the appropriate fees for being involved in new teacher induction Timeline June instructional mentor assigned to new teacher July initial contact between instructional mentor and new teacher via phone/e-mail First days in August - New Teacher Induction Seminar in district for principals/directors, new teachers, mentors LES Teacher Request Form - page 12