We have heard concerns from members about how changes required by the Blueprint to the Career Ladder will impact your working conditions and salary. We would like to take this opportunity to communicate what will change and what our goals are as we prepare to sit down with AACPS for formal negotiations.
- Changes to salary scale: There will be a change to the salary structure for Unit 1 employees who choose to pursue their National Board Certification (NBC). The Blueprint requires incentives for obtaining your NBC and first, second and third maintenances. This certification is not required and will be up to the individual as to whether they enter the program or not. For a broader overview of NBC, check out our one-pager here.
- Appreciation for higher education degrees: Members who choose not to enter the program will still have the option to pursue their master’s degree, or if they are already working toward their master’s, continue their current path. We know many of our have members have worked very hard to obtain their master’s degree, +30, +60 and PhDs. I myself have earned a master’s degree and have no desire to pursue the NBC.
- Timeline: We have assembled a team of TAAAC members for a Blueprint Subgroup to collaborate with AACPS, begin developing a plan for what the career ladder will look like in Anne Arundel County, and bring information to the negotiations table for FY25. We are crafting a proposal that reflects your dedication and hard work you do for the students of Anne Arundel County. We know many of you will want as much information as possible to make an informed decision as to whether to continue pursing advanced degrees or to go the NBC path. We will keep you updated as the process moves forward.
While we cannot predict the outcome of these negotiations, we can tell you that our goal is to restructure compensation to be more competitive with other counties and protect members who have advanced degrees while working within the confines of the law as it is currently constituted. We also want to assure members who do not currently fit the definition of “teacher”, we will be making proposals to enhance those salaries to be more competitive as well. This is also currently proposed as an amendment to the Blueprint in the Maryland State Senate.
