The MHFT negotiations team has reached a tentative agreement with the District and strongly urges a YES vote for ratification by our members. The following includes information about the agreement, and you can find the actual language on our website at www.mhft.org or mhusd.org. If you have additional comments or questions, you can call the Federation office or email Theresa Sage at tsmhft@garlic.com or any of the other negotiations team. The MHFT team included Gemma Abels, Nancy Altman, Chris Mink, Jennifer Myers, Andrea Pecsok, April Roland, Theresa Sage, Lori Shoemaker, and Zann Yates. We want to thank the negotiations team for all of their time and effort!
We would also like to thank the many teachers that participated in committee work such as the Health and Welfare Committee, the Stipends Committee and other task forces. In addition, many individual teachers provided expertise that we were able to use to guide our negotiations. Finally, we want to thank all of our members that took time to provide feedback through several surveys, attending general meetings, emailing negotiations members, and reading the joint communiqués.
This will be a three year contract (2015-2018). The contract also allows the Federation and District to open up articles each year during this contract. The Federation will be negotiating reopeners next spring.
COMPENSATION:
The Federation and the District started with the shared interest of improving compensation in order to attract and retain highly qualified and effective teachers. We are currently facing a teacher shortage, so there is an interest in enhancing traditionally hard to fill credentials as well.
The final compensation package includes the following:
- 5% on-going increase to the 2014 - 2015 Salary Schedule
- Increasing the hourly and home instruction rates from $23.25 to $32
- Increasing stipend amount to $ 1,443.00
- Increasing masters stipend from $1,000 to $1,500
- Adding a $1,500 stipend for a special education or bilingual certification (must be teaching in that assignment) – see language for more details.
- Voluntary Innovation Grants will be awarded in order to improve student learning, promote student achievement, and/or increase services for students using one-time money. Any PLC, grade level, department, and/or site can apply for a grant. Teachers can participate in more than one project. Look for details in your email as soon as the process is finalized.
CALENDAR:
Please note that the 2015-2016 calendar was approved in the prior contract. The 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 calendars are being added to the contract. The work days are very similar to our current calendar with the noted exception below. See language for specifics.
During the 2015-2016 calendar year, professional development will still be offered on Good Friday in order to not disrupt the published student calendar. Beginning with the 2016-2017 calendar, secondary professional development will be offered on the elementary conference day in November (near Veterans Day) and the elementary professional development will be offered on the secondary fall semester work day (last day before December break).
CLASS SIZE:
The Federation and the District believe that class size does affect student success. Second grade will be added to the TK-1 ratios of 24:1. This is done through board approval rather than contract language due to the severe penalty clause (1 student overage at any site will incur the penalty of losing funding for the entire grade district-wide).
MHFT believes that our secondary physical education classes should have class sizes that assist our teachers in providing instruction and promote student learning of the physical education standards. We also believe that class size in physical education should provide a safe learning environment. We have negotiated language to include a reduction from a class size maximum of 50 to a class size maximum of 48 in 7 - 12 Physical Education classes. Because we recognize that the master schedule and staffing for ratio allocations has been set for next fall, we added language that reflects that the district will make every attempt to meet this class size max in 2015 - 2016, but that teachers will only be paid for overage(s) over the old 50 maximum. Beginning in the 2016-2017 year, the 50 class max will be in full enforcement.
New language was added for SDC teachers. Previously only K-6 teachers had a class cap of 12 students. This protection is added district-wide now.
New language was also added for speech therapists (SLP) which requires the District to consider workload, distance between sites when assigned to more than one, and other factors when assigning caseloads. There is an interest in being more equitable in caseloads, particularly since the maximum is a district-wide average of 55 students.
*There will be a joint team that will participate in a facilitated study of all special education programs in 2015-2016.
HEALTH & WELFARE:
Both the Federation and the District have a high interest in meeting the requirements of the Affordable Care Act and providing high quality and affordable health and welfare options for their employees. The healthcare committee will continue in the 2015-16 school year to review options.
New language in the healthcare portion of our contact now includes trigger language for a possible change in the future. If the District and Federation agree to move to another health care provider (currently CalPERS), the District would increase their contribution to healthcare by at least $600 per employee per year (currently $9,000). This would occur if the change in provider results in a savings to the District.
We have agreed to have the District enroll new teachers into the health and welfare plans and facilitate the open enrollment process for all employees.
Employees will now be able to use the district’s contribution ($9,000) for Life Insurance and Disability premiums, regardless of the insurance carrier. Coverage will be for employees only. Employees using Fidelity as their insurance carrier will now be able to use the district contribution. (Prior to this change, the employee paid out of pocket for this premium.) Employees using U.S. Life will no longer be able to cover their spouses through the district contribution.
New retirees (from the 2015-16 school year on) will be responsible for any CalPERS prepaid premium costs if they continue with this healthcare plan. Currently these fees are about $117 per month. If a retiree does not enroll in the CalPERS Healthcare plan, this change will not affect them.
TEACHER SUPPORT:
Both the Federation and the District have a continuing interest to support the professional growth and development of teachers throughout their careers. The District will maintain programs that support teacher effectiveness.
The New Teacher Induction Program (formally BTSA) is no longer being funded by categorical dollars which made it imperative that we agree on language regarding induction. The District will provide an Induction Program which includes a released Support Provider(s) for new teachers needing to clear their credential. When a teacher completes the New Teacher Induction Program, he/she will commit to remaining in the district for the amount of time enrolled in the district provided program. New Teacher Support Providers will be released from classroom duties for up to four years. This will give the program more continuity and allow teachers to fully use the training provided.
The District must sometimes employ intern teachers when there are no transfers/applicants available for certain certificated positions. Interns must be enrolled in a CTC approved program which requires a mentor. When a mentor is provided by the District, the employee will be paid at 7/8 (87.5%) of Column 1, Step 1 of the Certificated Salary Schedule (per Ed Code). This language also provides compensation/release time for these mentors who support teachers with little experience/pedagogy in teaching and who often teach our high needs students.
The Teacher Support Network has been folded into the Article 21 and is no longer a side letter to our contract. The Teacher Support Network is mandatory for teachers receiving a “does not meet standards” and voluntary for teachers receiving a “partially meets standards” on his/her overall summary rating on the evaluation. This program is administered by a panel of MHFT and District representatives who match teachers needing support with a Support Provider and meet quarterly to review the process of teachers in the program. TSN Support Providers receive two district stipends for their time meeting weekly with the participating teacher, working with the participating teacher’s administrator, observing the participating teacher, and reporting to the panel. TSN has been a successful program that we continue to enhance in order to provide participants with the best support in improving their teaching practices.
TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN & KINDERGARTEN:
A task force was created to review the research around full-day kindergarten. It was determined that a full day TK-K program has high benefits for EL and low income students. There is a 1-year side letter that will provide full day TK-K classes throughout the district. TK-K teachers will be given 60 minutes of support to ensure small group instruction. The language in the contract was amended to have the staggered day language as the default beginning in the 2016-2017 year. The full day program will be evaluated by April 1, 2016, and will be addressed in our negotiations for 2016-2017.
PRESCHOOL:
Language was written specifying hours for SDC preschool teachers’ schedules. This allows time for additional assessments, initial IEPs and home visits. There are no other changes for SDC preschool teachers.
We have a new category of pre-school teachers. This category of preschool teachers can teach with a child care permit rather than a full multiple subject credential. They have a new salary schedule and language around the following: work year, non-instructional days, student instructional days, teacher work days, supervision hours, parent engagement evenings, and class sizes. Preschool teachers with full multiple subject credentials will remain on the regular salary schedule. Of the comparable unified school districts, the new preschool salary schedule is the second highest of the five districts.
FEDERATION RIGHTS:
The Federation has a high interest in insuring that teacher voices are heard relating to curriculum, assessments, textbook adoptions, etc. The past several contracts have included an addendum outlining the process. New language was added to article three formalizing the Curriculum Council structure and Addendum I was removed.
Article 19 language on safety conditions was moved to Article 3.
TRANSFERS:
The Federation and the District have an interest in streamlining the transfer process for teachers. Language was amended to clarify the process for voluntary transfers based on our pilot this spring. Timelines were aligned for Intent to Return and Voluntary Transfer Request procedures.
Involuntary transfer language was clarified so that any teacher being moved involuntarily will be given the choice of three days for their move or a $250 cash option.
EVALUATION:
The Federation and the District implemented a new evaluation process several years ago.The TSN Program was developed and piloted for several years. Minor changes were made to clarify the language. See language for specifics.
Side Letter for JAMM - removed
Since the three-year implementation plan is completed, this side letter expires. Any future contract exceptions for JAMM will go through the regular trust agreement process identified in Article 22.
Since there were no tentative agreements reached for the following open articles, they will be reopened in the future:
-Article 5: Additional Compensation
-Article 13: Leaves
2015-16_salary_schedule_mhft.pdf
2015-16_salary_schedule_mhft_with pennies.pdf