I don't mind addressing the issue of pay in this forum. I think it's important that TMs are paid a standard pay rate and that this should be common knowledge.
When I was first a Theatre Manager in 2010-11 I was paid $28/hr, with medical benefits only. I was hired as a Classified employee. After 5 years of trying to fight this – it's against FSLA - I moved to another school. There I was hired as a Certificated employee (I happen to have a teaching certificate too), and by my second and last year there (2016-17) I was paid around $42,000/yr with full benefits for a 0.8FTE position. But, the teachers there work 7 hour days, so 35 hour work weeks, so 0.8 is 28 hours a week. So, doing a bit of algebra (yay math!), that works out to $60,000/yr, were the position full time. $60,000 seems to me a fair salary for a person who is hired as middle management.
Be sure to stress to your admin that a manager is an exempt position ("exempt" meaning they are exempt from getting overtime pay because they are salaried – however, they do get full benefits), according to FSLA, and as such the district is not allowed to hire them on an hourly basis with no (or few) benefits in order to avoid having to provide full benefits.
Following is the FSLA's Duties Test as it pertains to a High School Theatre Manager.
DUTIES TEST OF EXEMPT EMPLOYEES PER THE FSLA AS PERTAINS TO THEATRE MANAGER POSITIONS.
Primary duty is managing without direct supervision, and with day to day decision-making authority.
The Theatre Managers are in charge of managing each theatre facility without direct supervision of an administrator and make day to day decisions regarding operations.
DECISION MAKING REGARDING WORKPLACE MANAGEMENT
DETERMINE WORK TECHNIQUES
The Theatre Managers determine all work techniques in the facility without input from administration. They create and implement policies and procedures for the theatre facilities.
PLAN THE WORK
The Theatre Managers are the primary communicator with events (school, district and outside) once they are scheduled, through e-mail, phone and/ or production meetings to determine their needs. The Theatre Managers then will plan the work that students and/or technicians will be doing, based on the needs of each individual event.
Monitor work for legal or regulatory compliance
The Theatre Managers monitor the facility for legal and safe use. For example, when the orchestra pit is open, signs and restrictions in place in compliance with OSHA regulations, which the Theatre Managers enforce.
Provide for safety and security of the workplace
The Theatre Managers maintain the facility Safety Manual, post safety signs, train technicians, students and all users in safety policies without input from administration.
SUPERVISE EMPLOYEES AND MAKE DECISIONS REGARDING THEIR EMPLOYMENT
SUPERVISE EMPLOYEES
The Theatre Managers will be directly supervising the Theatre Technicians (or paid student crew) for outside events in the facilities.
INPUT INTO JOB STATUS
The Theatre Managers have input into the job status of the Theatre Technicians; they will be involved in interviewing, selecting and any subsequent training needed, including determining termination.
SET EMPLOYEES HOURS OF WORK
The Theatre Managers create the monthly work schedules depending on the events in their theatre facilities and collectively will apportion the work among the Theatre Technicians and assign technicians to each event at their discretion depending on the requirements of each event.
APPRAISE PRODUCTIVITY
The Theatre Managers will appraise productivity of the Theatre Technicians as an ongoing, formative part of their job.
You can find out more at: https://www.dol.gov/whd/flsa/
As for a TM's schedule – I found I spent more time sitting at my desk than in the theatre! (See previous post with TM Duties listed.) Hence why you want a 'management' type person (TM), not so much a 'hands-on' type person (TD). Actually, you really need both, but perhaps that's for the next battle…
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Beth Rand, EBMS
Lighting Designer
School Theatre Operations Coach
NEW!
ONLINE TECH COURSES FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
http://www.presett.org/techieacademy.html . A great summer project!
HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE MANAGEMENT ONLINE COURSE for Drama Teachers: Summer session June 4th (half full, 4 spaces left). Fall session Sept 10th.
http://www.presett.org/theatre-management-course.htmlREP PLOT DESIGN - Never have to re-hang and re-focus all your lights again!
http://www.presett.org/repplot.html"HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE OPERATIONS" and more tech theatre books at
http://www.presett.org/helpful-books-for-you.html.www.PRESETT.orgWestminster, CO
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-16-2018 08:02
From: Mark A. Zimmerman
Subject: Full-Time TD
Let me clarify: I was looking for people with a full-time TD so i can ask them a couple of questions that my principal is looking for the answers.
The questions are:
1. About how much does the TD get paid?
2. What are their duties?
3. What does their schedule look like.
I figured this was better done privately than in the forum.
--
Mark A. Zimmerman
Theatre Director,
Akron School for the Arts
Firestone High School
470 Castle Blvd
Akron, Ohio 44313
330-761-3275
FirestoneTheatre.com
Original Message------
I don't know much about the fighting to make a position full-time because my position was full-time when I took it but some of the insight used to get the position to full time was shared with me. Hope this helps.
1) Due to the number of events (choir, band, drama (3 productions plus student directed projects) the quality of the work would suffer. When this position went full time, the production value increased tremendously. I also run events and assemblies.
2) When this position went full-time before I was here the TD became a tech theatre teacher which opened more arts electives for those who weren't performers or musically inclined. And (a while back) was tied to CTE which also offered a career pathway to those who weren't focused on college. I currenlty teach some acting classes too but I teach 3 stagecraft/production classes that are purely working on our events and shows. This gives students "real world" hands-on experience. Most of the time the drama or advanced drama, etc. classes are a mixture to the teacher is divided focus and true rigor is not met.
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Joel King
Atlanta GA
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