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Missouri is the latest state to add up to $5,000 to the annual salaries of certain school speech-language pathologists. On June 25, Gov. Bob Holden signed a comprehensive education bill (S.B. 968) which included one section that provided a salary supplement for school-based SLPs who have maintained a valid MO license, hold the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC), and have been employed in the public school system for at least five years. The content of the original salary supplement bill, S.B. 1021, which stalled in committee, was incorporated into the omnibus education bill in May 2004.
Creating a program known as "Missouri Career Development and Excellence Plan," the legislature established a three-tier system of career advancement. Eligible SLPs will be placed on the third or highest tier equivalent to placement for teachers who hold certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). While participation in this program by local districts is voluntary, proponents argue that adoption of the new system will greatly enhance recruitment and retention of efforts of district administrators.
For more information, contact Eileen Crowe at ecrowe@asha.org or Janet Deppe at jdeppe@asha.org.
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