The negotiating teams met on May 7th, 2013, and constructed the basis for a two-year agreement. But there is much contract language left to draft and some editorial changes that need to be made in the soon-to-expire four-year agreement. We hope to get a Settlement Summary out within the seven to ten business days containing sufficient detail for Unit 1 employees to use as the basis for their Accept/Reject vote. As readers will recall, the straw balloting, for the first time in our history, is going to be done electronically using Survey Monkey. Here is a short list of the settlement highlights in note form:
- 1% across the board increase for all effective on July 1, 2013
- One full salary step increase effective on January 22, 2014
- Addition of a Step 26, 2% higher than Step 25 to reward senior educators who would have otherwise been redlined
- Healthcare unchanged for now, all health care issues were referred to the joint health care negotiating committee
- Comp time for teachers who cover class during their own teaching time (primarily involving the splitting of classes that occurs in elementary schools)
- 190-day work year with no commensurate reduction in salary
- Annapolis High School MOU continues in current form if salary package is funded
- Department Chairs may be involved in the rating and evaluation process only upon a 66% favorable vote of the department
- “Educational leaders” (team leaders, reading teachers, lead teachers, and some others) will be involved in the evaluation process only for the purpose of helping to draft, monitor, and score Student Learning Objectives (SLO’s)
- “Challenged school” stipends moved from $1,500 based on assignment and $1,500 based on performance, modified to $2,000 and $1,000, respectively; and the basis for the performance stipend moves from AYP to AMO.
- More flexibility given to the Superintendent to add or remove schools from the challenged school list, deadline for publication of list is April 1
- If release of the above mentioned list is late, teachers in schools removed from the list may be voluntarily placed on the excess list
- Explicit protections for confidentiality in disciplinary action, job counseling, and investigations
- Changes in the protection of salaries for educators criminally charged in certain limited offenses
- Bereavement leave moved from 4 calendar days to 5
- Due dates for report cards in the first three marking periods shortened from 5 to 4 days
- Term of contract is two years with joint reopener regarding a restructuring of the salary scales, and each party may choose two other topics.
MESSAGES TO COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS
Please keep the messages to council members coming. Readers who have not yet participated in the email campaign may do so following the below directions…
DIRECTIONS
- Do not change the page, just scroll to the bottom.
- Enter the Sender information.
- Scroll back up just a bit and follow the directions.
BUDGET HEARING REMINDER
TAAAC President, Richard Benfer will be giving testimony at the hearing scheduled for May 13th, 7:00pm, and the Arundel Center on Calvert Street in Annapolis. We are asking all available members to come and support Richard in Annapolis. The hearing starts at 7:00pm arrival by 6:30pm should get you a seat in the Council Chambers. It would be great if all members who have TAAAC shirts or jackets wear them. Others should wear something from their schools that serve to identify them as educators.
Vice-President Ken Baughman presented TAAAC’s testimony last night (5/8/13) at the Chesapeake Arts Center.
There are several members of the Council who have made quite hostile comments regarding the education budget earlier this year. Let have a crowd of educators present on the 13th to witness any further such behavior, and remember it when November of 2014 rolls around.
