PITTSFIELD — Members of the United Educators of Pittsfield union will receive a raise, an additional professional development day and greater protections around planning periods in a new three-year contract adopted unanimously by the School Committee on Wednesday night.
Committee Vice Chair Dan Elias, who helped negotiate the contract on the district’s behalf, called the final product a “very good contract.”
“We’ve been working on it for a while, and I think it accomplishes a lot of things and makes us more competitive with not only the rest of the county, but the rest of the state,” Elias said. “I’m thankful that we can move on.”
Under the new contract, the minimum amount teachers can be paid will rise each year, the maximum amount teachers can be paid will grow 3 percent each year, and there will be an across-the-board increase of 2 percent. The increases to teacher salaries start this school year.
Superintendent Joseph Curtis said that in order to increase the amount of before-school supervision for middle and high school students, school start times will be pushed back 10 minutes next school year. Curtis said the delayed start will allow teachers in secondary schools to set aside 15 minutes to help direct students to their classes.
The union also has agreed that teachers will meet with parents and students for up to 40 minutes before or after school to help with any academic assistance that the children might need.
Starting next school year, all teachers will begin using Canvas to input grades, give out digital assignments and create a class landing page.
The adoption of the agreement marks the end of a contentious and sometimes rocky negotiation process between the district and teachers union.
Talks kicked off at the end of April. The union initially asked for a 2 percent raise to stay in line with similar raises that were being negotiated in neighboring districts. Union president Melissa Campbell said in August that when the United Educators of Pittsfield proposed that increase to the district, talks stalled.
PITTSFIELD — The United Educators of Pittsfield is criticizing the School Committee’s decision to approve a one-year commitment to a virtual a…
“We’re asking to at least remain even [with the county], knowing that we need to make up ground because we are behind much of the county and we’re losing teachers,” Campbell said at the time. “Their opening offer was a fraction of the 2 percent, and it felt very insulting.”
Union members were preparing a counteroffer to the proposed salary rate from the district when the Pittsfield Public Virtual Academy was announced. The virtual school program, which was funded with $2.1 million in federal coronavirus relief money, led to a breakdown in negotiations again.
Campbell said that the union’s counter was “contingent on no virtual academy, because they’re telling us there’s no extra money.”
Campbell said there were three factors that have led to increasing teacher turnover in the district: money, class size and autonomy.
Curtis said he felt that the negotiated change to the salary schedule put the district in a position to be more competitive with neighboring schools.
“The intention is, over a period of time, to grow more competitive in line with our neighbors, and that will take place past this existing and agreed-upon contract,” Curtis said. “But, certainly, I think all parties involved agree that this is a large step towards that.”
For the remaining issues, the contract also promises to form several new study groups to look at changing teacher evaluations, reducing administrative paperwork and creating a process for teachers to use resources outside the curriculum in class.
Meg Britton-Mehlisch can be reached at mbritton@berkshireeagle.com or
