By Nate Leskovic
Times Staff
8/7/08

(previous)
The three-year contract gives teachers a raise of about 2 percent this year through changes to the step system that is based on the number of years of employment and educational level. Three new steps were added to the pay scale and the salary increases for the steps vary.
The contract was signed in June by Margaret Gibbons, teachers’ union president, and approved by the School Committee.
Next year, all teachers will receive a straight 2 percent raise at the beginning of the year and then another 2 percent raise halfway through the year.
In the third year of the contract, all teachers will get a 3.5 percent raise.
Meanwhile, the schools face a large budget shortfall for athletics, which as of now must be covered through fundraising. Close to $150,000 is needed.
Almost $50,000 of this could come from the Copeland Foundation-donated “Hillside Fund,” which has been used in past years to help maintain the high school’s accreditation. Last year a portion of the account was used for sports. School Committee Chair Beirne Lovely says the foundation has agreed to a similar plan this year. The School Committee must decide about the use of the fund in an upcoming meeting as well.
The new teachers’ contract changes the preparation time allotted to elementary school teachers.
Gormley says planning meetings between teachers of the same grade has been successful in the middle school, and the new contract provides this opportunity to elementary teachers. The planning period will be scheduled once, every other week, and will be used for aligning curriculum as well as discussing assessments and testing.
Coaches of girls’ sports are now guaranteed the same pay as coaches of boys’ sports.
According to the contract, middle school teachers will not be required to teach more than an average of five classes per day and the maximum team-to-teacher ratio will be set at 25 to one.
Teachers must work 184 days each year, four of which are professional development days. The Monday and Tuesday before Labor Day will be for development and students will return that Wednesday and Thursday. Both teachers and students will have the Friday before Labor Day off.
An entry-level teacher salary is now about $38,355. The top of scale teacher salary with a masters degree $76,962. The full chart will be printed in the Times next week.