Board of Education Ratifies Renegotiated Agreement
On September 26, 2018, the Board of Education unanimously voted to ratify the renegotiated fiscal year 2019 salary and wage settlement with TAAAC. The renegotiations were made necessary by a $6.1 million cut made from the Board’s compensation request by the County Executive. The original Agreement consisted of a step increase and a 2% across-the-board increase, both effective at the start of the new year. It was a modest Agreement, sadly made more modest by the $6.1 million cut.
As a reminder, the now ratified Agreement provides the following:
Salaries and Wages
- 2.1941% across-the-board increase (or “COLA”), effective retroactively to July 1, 2018.
- One salary step increase for every eligible Unit 1 employee effective mid-year.
- Increase in extra instructional hourly wage from $25 to $30 per hour, with increase in curriculum writing and professional development summer pay, effective on July 1, 2019.
Now that both parties to the Agreement have ratified, AACPS payroll staff will adjust biweekly salary distributions and compute retroactive obligations. Unit 1 employees will not see the results all at one time. The anticipated timeline is shown below:
- All Unit 1 employees should see the impact of the 2.1941% salary increase in their October 10th distribution.
- All Unit 1 employees should receive any retroactive money owed in the November 21 salary distribution.
- 12-month employees should receive their mid-year step increase on January 2nd.
- 10-month employees should receive their mid-year step increase on February 13th.
It is interesting to note that the ratification that occurred last night was for a collective bargaining agreement, the negotiation for which began only six days short of one full year ago. Causing the routine delay is the frustrating exercise that both TAAAC and the Board suffer far too frequently. The parties spend months negotiating an agreement; then it gets to Calvert Street and the necessary resources to pay for it are denied. There is an opportunity pending in November to change that.
Pittman / Schuh Debate Reminder
The debate between Steuart Pittman and Steve Schuh will take place on Oct. 18 at the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. Capital Gazette editor Rick Hutzell will moderate the discussion that begins at 7 p.m. Debate topics will include gun violence, education, development and environmental issues.
TAAAC leadership is urging members to take the time to attend, and to wear RED.
The MSEA/TAAAC Apple
Every election for the past few decades an “apple” has been a recognizable graphic that MSEA and its affiliates uses in its materials to promote recommended candidates, and that recommended candidates were allowed to use on their own materials. Its popularity and attraction among the voting public grew to the level that candidates that had not been recommended also started to utilize the graphic to reflect, honestly or otherwise, their affinity for teachers and other educators. As a result, MSEA took action to protect and preserve the use of the phrase “Teacher Recommended” or “Teacher Approved” in connection with an apple as part of political campaigns. Since 2009, the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) is the registrant of both the apple and the use of the phrases “Teacher Recommended” or “Teacher Approved” in connection with political advocacy. Their use is intended only for recommended candidates.
When candidates who have not been recommended by the MSEA or an affiliate use an apple designed to bear significant resemblance to our protected graphic, we are obligated to prevent our members and other voters from mistaking the versions as something they are not. Please be informed that the apples which appear on signs and other promotional materials of Julie Hummer, candidate for the Council District 4 seat on the Anne Arundel County Board of Education, and Michelle Corkadel, candidate for the Council District 7 seat on the Anne Arundel County Board of Education, do not represent the recommendation of this Association. TAAAC has made no recommendation in the District 4 BOE race or the District 7 BOE race.
MSEA Convention Absence Code
The appropriate code for convention attendance is 9995.
It is also important to become familiar with the pertinent provision language in the Negotiated Agreement. It is excerpted below.
MSEA Convention Attendance (Article 11.I)
Unit I members may attend the annual Maryland State Educators Association Convention without loss of pay or annual leave if they are elected delegates or MSEA committee members required to be in attendance.
Unit I members may attend the professional workshops sponsored by MSEA affiliated departments and scheduled on the MSEA Convention day without loss of pay or annual leave if they are presenters or registered participants.
Attendance without loss of pay as referenced above shall require evidence of such attendance. Acceptable evidence shall be provided to the supervisor or designee and shall include any of the following:
- delegate attendance list
- delegate credentials
- embossed workshop attendance certificate
- workshop presenter badge
The MSEA Convention day shall be considered a regular duty day for all other Unit I members.