AMY SZPARA

RESERVE – If they make the extra effort in their schools and with their students, hard-working teachers could soon be stashing some extra cash into their piggy banks. With the still-fresh memory of a staged teacher walkout in St. John to protest low teacher wages around the state, parish teachers now have a chance to add some bucks to their pockets. Though St. John teachers recently received a $1,000 raise and will get another $1,000 next school year, thanks to a tax approved by the voters, many people still do not think that teachers make enough money for what they do. One person who agrees is St. John Parish School Board Member Russ Wise, who recently announced his plan for a bonus program for teachers. In a speech Wise presented to the board and the public Thursday night, he stated he tried to put the plan into place while he was on the State Accountability Commission, but it did not work out as he had planned. Teachers did not receive bonuses. Now that both test scores and reading scores are up, and the schools in the area are moving forward, Wise said, it is the right time for people to get behind the plan. Stating that though the recent salary raises were needed, Wise added that pay increases treat everyone the same. From “the person who simply shows up” to the one who puts in hour after hour, the pay is the same, he said. According to Wise, he has been working on the bonus plan for about a year. He plans to reward faculty members who exceed their growth targets and he has been working to form a corporation for the project. If all goes well, the Internal Revenue Service will make it a tax-deductible organization. Wise, who said he would like the businesses in the community to come forward and donate to the fund, has also set aside a large sum. “I’m going to put my money where my mouth is,” he said, adding that he was donating $5,000 to the organization. Days before Teacher Appreciation Week, Wise announced his idea, stating that it was the best time. Not supportive of the teacher sickout or the administrative decision to close schools the day the protest was scheduled, Wise has said many teachers did not want to participate and wanted to do what is expected of them. His announcement came just two weeks after the board voted to extend the school year by one day as a result of the lost day because of what was termed “Foster Flu.” Wise was the sole objector in adding the extra day. Wise said he hoped the plan would be in place by fall when performance scores are announced. “The future of St. John Parish and the entire river region depends upon one thing, the quality of our education,” he said.