A blowout showdown at the School Board meeting on Tuesday of last week may have been the catalyst that broke the deep impasse that had developed the last few months between increasingly embittered teachers and the School District. The School Board had committed a gigantic gaffe by allowing word to leak to the Teachers Union that at least sixteen members of the District’s management team were in line for raises up to 43.8 percent.
When a throng of furious teachers and their community supporters, students and parents, stormed into Lin Howe School to vent their not-so-pent-up feelings, numerous managers saw their anticipated raises burning to a crisp — unless the teachers were mollified fast.
Mollification was considered the obvious strategy before District officials left Lin Howe late that night. .
As thefrontpageonline.com reported yesterday, in meeting with a mediator last Friday, the two sides agreed to a two-year contract, through the end of next school year, if teachers ratify the decision in Thursday’s voting.
Article 32: Wages
* A 1% salary increase retroactive to Sept. 1, 2004.
* A 4% salary increase retroactive to Sept. 1, 2005.
* Additional increases for longevity retroactive to Sept. 1, 2005 (Class IV: $500/year; Class V: $500/year).
* Additional extra duty pay for teachers in grades 4 and 5 for parent conferences that extend beyond the regular work day
* An increase to $2,000 per year for teachers who have earned a Doctorate degree.
* $3,000 per year for teachers who receive National Board Certification
* Stipends of $2,835 for each of the Boys’ and Girls’ Head Coaches of the Culver City High School lacrosse teams.
Article 31: Health and Welfare Benefits
* Maintenance of existing health benefits.
* Retired employees who begin employment on or after July 1, 2006, will receive retiree benefits as follows:
* Age: 55-65
* Current contribution for single employee.
* Unit members will qualify after serving for fifteen consecutive years in the District.
* Unit members may apply the current contribution for single employee coverage, which may include one dependent coverage, after serving for twenty consecutive years in Culver City.
* After Age 65
* Maintain existing retiree reimbursement .
Article 3: Duration
* This agreement shall extend until June 20, 2008. The parties may reopen negotiations for the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 on Article 31: Health and Welfare, and Article 32: Wages, and two articles selected by each party.
Article 13: Bereavement
· The District may request reasonable verification for number of days taken.
Article 19: Jury Duty Leave
* Paid leave of three days for any teacher serving jury duty in a state, County or Municipal Court.
Article 27: Elementary Preparation Time
* MOA signed Feb. 6, 2006/Effective through June 30, 2006.
Article 35: Peer Assistance and Peer Review
* All unit members teaching in their first and second year in the District who are eligible for BTSA shall be required to participate in the BTSA program for two years.
