We have a Tentative Agreement with the Board. It is still subject to funding by the county and members will be asked to participate in the funding effort. Members will also be asked to recall in the June Primary and the November General Elections those incumbent candidates who helped and those who further injured us. More will be forthcoming on the funding effort and related organizing. For now, rather than dilute this good news with troublesome topics, I’ve briefly summarized the TA below along with a draft of the pertinent changes in contract language.
The TA provides a new salary scale that starts at Step 1, ends at Step 25, and has no longevity (or “dead”) steps. It also adds a 13th step to the SPC scales to accommodate a few dozen of our Tech Ed colleagues who have been languishing on the top step of a short scale for lots of years. Almost all unit members will receive a $500 to $800 increase just from the transition alone to the new scale. No one will lose money in the transition. The transition is immediately followed by a salary step increase on the new scale. These new scales reduce the cost of a salary step from $14.6 million to $9.4 million. It is hoped that we have constructed a scale that the holders of the purse strings on Calvert Street might find fundable in future years.
The TA also contains language intended to provide some level of relief to elementary educators who struggle with severely insufficient planning time, and some better access to electronic means for TAAAC’s communications to members TAAAC.
DRAFT SETTLEMENT 04-23-14
[bolding indicates new language]
SALARY
The current salary scale structure is replaced by a series of 25-step columns with no longevity (or “dead”) steps for all except the columns for BA/SPC holders and Provisionals.
Provisional scales will remain in their current structure. The BA/SPC column will be a 13-step scale.Transition of current employees will be by dollar-amount salary rather than by experience step. Individuals will be moved to the closest amount to current salary, but no less than current salary. Then, a step increase on the new scale will be provided.
ARTICLE 11C, PLANNING TIME
For elementary school teachers, a minimum of 210 of these 410 minutes of planning time will be scheduled during the student day and set aside for the individual planning time for delivery of instruction. Individual planning time during the student day for elementary school teachers will be scheduled in blocks of no less than 30 consecutive minutes. Nothing contained herein would preclude an elementary school from using a model which provides double blocks (1 full hour) on some days of the week and none on others in meeting the above 210 minutes minimum.
1. Administrators will limit the number of meetings where administratively possible to afford elementary teachers optimal time for planning.
2. Principals and FAC’s will collaboratively consider departmentalizing to assist in managing elementary teacher workload. If a collaborative determination cannot be made, assistance may be sought from the appropriate supervisor or designee.
3. AACPS with TAAAC involvement shall examine and implement best practices to improve the utilization of elementary school planning time.
Article 11C, items #1 through #3 may not be subjected to the grievance process.
ARTICLE 21 J. – USE OF SCHOOL DELIVERY SERVICE AND ELECTRONIC MAI
TAAAC may have the privilege of using the school delivery system and electronic mail to distribute TAAAC, MSEA, and NEA materials and those of MSEA and NEA as described in Item F above, as long as such distribution does not interfere with the distribution of AACPS materials of the school system. TAAAC shall submit materials to the Superintendent’s designee for approval prior to distribution via electronic mail. The designee’s determination will be based solely on whether the content complies with this provision and shall be made within five (5) business days from receipt of the request.
Remember, we need you to attend the Public Budget Hearing with us on May 12th, 7:00, at the Arundel Center on Calvert Street in Annapolis. Wear something in TAAAC Blue.