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District increases proposed salary increases after hearing litany of teacher complaints

By Wesley LeBlanc wesley@opcfla.com
Posted 12/16/20

FLEMING ISLAND – Veteran teachers in the district will receive a larger raise than originally planned after they expressed their disappointment in a plan to boost salaries by 1.28% during the most …

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District increases proposed salary increases after hearing litany of teacher complaints


Posted

FLEMING ISLAND – Veteran teachers in the district will receive a larger raise than originally planned after they expressed their disappointment in a plan to boost salaries by 1.28% during the most recent school board meeting.

As the Clay County School District and School Board prepares its legislative priorities, many teachers came to the recent school board to talk about their disappointment with their initial raises. That discord made an impact because the district and the Clay County Education Association reached a new agreement for a larger raise.

“Clay County District Schools is proud to announce a tentative contract agreement with the Clay County Education Association,” according to the district. “This tentative agreement recognized the contributions of veteran teachers while also adhering to the statutory requirements set forth by House Bill 641.

“Under this House Bill, the District is able to move the teacher starting pay to $44,867 and all teachers will receive a minimum salary increase of $1,200. Due to the funding outlook as a result of the recent executive order, the District is able to recognize these veteran teachers. The District is committed to supporting all employees while remaining fiscally responsible.”

The statement comes days after teachers spoke directly to the school board during the Dec. 10 meeting to express their displeasure with the district about the 1.28% raise.

“You’re sitting on the healthiest general fund balance this district has ever seen,” Clay County teacher Chris Trahan said. “We just passed the sales tax that will alleviate the financial burden that our property repairers represent. You have the $1.8 million that [the Clay County Education Association] proposed that would give our veteran teachers the lifeline and your own bargaining team called that proposal reasonable and yet, you rejected it.”

Also, not only are veteran teachers going to receive a raise that equates to $600, which is an extra $50 a month on a 12-month calendar, but starting teachers are receiving a large jump in starting salary. Veteran teachers weren’t opposed to higher salaries for starting teachers. They said it just made the sting of the 1.28% veteran teacher raise hurt even more.

Trahan’s comments came five days before the district agreed to a higher raise.

“Looking at this, I must take issue with the fact that this body values my experience [14 years of teaching and a Master’s of Education amongst other accolades] and its veterans at 1.28%,” Trahan said. “To be told that a veteran teacher during a crisis year is only worth $500 to $600 more is an affront to every teacher here, both new and experienced.

“Year after year, we are told to save for that rainy day. What do you call teaching in the middle of a global pandemic? What do you call last March when we packed up our classrooms and redesigned our curriculum to teach online overnight? I’m sorry, but the storm is no longer coming. It is here and your employees are in the eye of that storm right now.”

Before the district reconsidered, some worried about the sustainability of teaching in Clay County.

“No teacher can do their best if they can’t take care of themselves,” said second-year teacher Jennifer Corona. “If this is the way teaching will go, if they have to take second or third jobs to take care of themselves, then this career just isn’t sustainable for me and I wish that wasn’t the case because I love this job.”

The school board and the district apparently got to work quickly on solving this problem because the district and CCEA agreed on a minimum $1,200 raise for all teachers less than five days after the meeting.