Reflect

After a year in the TLI program, the following is an indication of how I have grown in my competencies, with my starting point shown as a strike-through.

The most valuable part of the TLI experience was the self-evaluation and having a better understanding of my own biases,  privilege, and ineffectiveness at communication.    I feel like I have totally shifted my efforts from being a loud voice stating how I feel or what I think,  to a more of a listener and a collaborator.   My communication skills have improved tremendously, especially when speaking in front of the school board.  I feel confident to answer questions or provide feedback from a teacher's perspective on numerous occasions.  I will continue to attend the school board meetings to give the board and central administration opportunities to hear directly from a teacher's point of view when discussing important topics that impact our working conditions.  

This shift in approach and learning to be more aware of these competencies has helped my grow in how I try to effect change in my district and state.  The growth of my intrapersonal effectiveness has also been huge.  I realize now that having relationships with the stakeholders, especially the people that are making the decisions, is vital to effect change.  These relationships are not just for one purpose, but propose a way for me to help impact how our leaders decide to run things in our district. 

My policy goal is still in progress, but hopefully this methodology will help others across the state or country when it comes to demanding workforce housing for new teachers to provide ways for all to start their teaching careers and keep teaching for long to come.  The words collaborate purposefully have new meaning now that I better understand that it takes many stakeholders to join together in a collaborative way to achieve meaningful results that can truly change how things work.  I feel like I have grown in these ways the least, but may be selling myself short.  Until I see actual affordable housing programs for teachers begin, I feel like I am going to keep being innovative and find ways to collaborate purposefully towards this policy change.

Over the summer, I have started reaching out to other agencies and groups who may be able to share more information or even help with grants or starting some form of affordable housing for teachers.  The new superintendent, even reached out to have me join him at a chamber of commerce event on Aug 1st to discuss affordable housing in our area.  So the work continues.

BELOW ARE MY NOTES FOR NEXT STEPS AND WAYS TO HELP FIND SOLUTIONS AS I CONTINUE INTO NEXT YEAR:

RESEARCH TOPICS:

BENEFITS FOR DISTRICT

DRAW BACKS FOR DISTRICT

WHAT WOULD RENTS COVER?

REAL DRAW FOR FUTURE EMPLOYMENT

BEING LANDLORDS IS WORK

TAXES, INSURANCE, MORTGAGE

STARTING TO BE NUMBER 1 QUESTIONS THAT APPLICANTS ASK

PROPERTY MANAGERS

FUNDING SOURCES

DISTRICT OWNED PROPERTY 

BUILDING NEW PROPERTIES

LOCAL - KEF

BUYING MOBILE HOMES - PAID OFF OVER A FEW BUDGETS

RUN A BOND ELECTION

RENT CONTROL - TERMS OF LEASE

LEGAL QUESTIONS

SUBSIDIZE RENT FOR FIRST 3 YEARS

CHOOSING TENANTS - FAIR HOUSING ACT

TIE LEASE TO EMPLOYMENT 

HELPFUL WEBSITES:

https://housing.mt.gov/Community-Housing/Housing-Trust-Fund

https://www.usgrants.org/montana/housing-grants

https://www.rlacf.org/programs/resilientcommunity/housing/

Per IRS section 119(d) for educational institution housing, employee housing is exempt from gross income if it meets the guidelines.  I know the fmv less the rent paid is subject to WC andUI tax but does it need to be included elsewhere as a fringe benefit.