wfn.org | Salary Guidelines to Be Developed for ELCA School Teachers

[NEWS <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

March 17, 1999

SALARY GUIDELINES TO BE DEVELOPED FOR ELCA SCHOOL TEACHERS
99-10-57-MR

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America (ELCA) that operate early childhood education centers will be
encouraged to bring staff salaries and health care benefits to a "just
and fair level."  More than 2,300 of the ELCA's 11,000 congregations
operate early childhood education ministries.
     The board for the ELCA Division for Higher Education and Schools
(DHES) met here March 12-14 and approved a plan that encourages
congregations to develop compensation guidelines for teachers and early
childhood professionals.
     "Early childhood professionals earn about $6.80 an hour," said the
Rev. Paul J. Thielo, Messiah Lutheran Church, Fairview Park, Ohio. 
Teaching staff continue to earn unacceptablly low wages, he said. 
Thielo is a member of the DHES board and chairs the board's committee on
schools.
     Early childhood education centers continue to experience high
turnover of teaching staff, threatening education centers' ability to
provide good quality, consistent services to children, said John J.
Scibilia, ELCA director for schools.
     Scibilia said bringing early childhood staff salaries and health
care benefits to "a just and fair level" is in the best interest of
children and "right for the church."
     The DHES board called for prayer "for the well-being of all
teachers and child care workers," and to encourage the ELCA to
"acknowledge and affirm the ministry of early childhood care
professionals."
     DHES will advocate for ELCA congregations and social ministry
organizations to  provide adequate benefit packages and bring
compensation to levels equivalent to those of "other professionals with
comparable preparation requirements, experience and job
responsibilities."
     Scibilia said teachers and child care workers have the greatest
effect on quality early childhood education programs, and the need to
improve the quality of programs in the United States is immediate.
     Children are a precious gift from God.  Experience and recent
research confirms the importance of early childhood education in the
life of a child, said Scibilia.
     "Help the Children" is one of the ELCA's "Initiatives to Prepare
for a New Century."  The Initiatives represent significant areas of the
church's ministry.  "Help the Children" works to advocate for the basic
needs of children.  Scibilia is member of that Initiative's leadership
team.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html