Contract Ratification Information

Happy Summer, folks!

Below is a copy of the ratification letter that will go in the mail to you soon. The letter will be accompanied by a copy of the proposed salary and supplemental scales, along with a post card. Please mark your vote on the card and drop it in the mail to us as soon as possible. We must receive your vote by July 17 in order for it to count.

Thanks for all your support this year.

For Your Consideration-
Tentative Agreement on Negotiated Agreement for the 2008-2009 Contract Year

On June 23 your LNEA negotiating team reached tentative agreement with the board’s team regarding the terms and conditions of your employment for the 2008-09 contract year.

Below is a summary of the changes that have been tentatively agreed to and require your approval. These changes to the contract are a package and will not take effect until teachers and board vote to ratify this agreement.

Enclosed are salary and supplemental scales, as well as a post card for you to vote in favor of or against approval of the negotiated agreement. Please mark your vote and drop this card in the mail as soon as possible. The card must be received by July 17.

* Increase salary an average of 4.5% (increase of $600 to base pay plus step and level movement, if applicable). No additional contributions to health fringe.
* Increase elementary planning time from 220 minutes per week to 250. Minimum 20-minute blocks of time.
*Decrease total number of contract days for teachers from 189 to 186.
*Increase total number of teacher work days (no meetings) from 4.5 to 5 (1.5 days at the beginning of the school year, 1 day at the end of first, second and third quarters, and at least a half day at the end of the fourth quarter).
*Retain binding arbitration of grievances.
*Retain current early retirement benefits, but form a committee to study a phase-out plan that will possibly replace the current policy with a 403b retirement plan contribution.
*Allow mid-year lateral movement on the salary schedule for completion of a degree by Jan 1. Raise goes into effect for the last 6 months of the contract (March paycheck).
*Increase the teacher work day from 7 hours 45 minutes to 8 hours. The additional 15 minutes will be devoted to student instruction. Before/after school teacher time will total 60 minutes, to be split (before/after) by building administration, but time before/after may be no less than 25 minutes (25/35, 30/30 or 35/25).
*Build in a minimum of 2 days for inclement weather (Two days could be missed without having to make up any time. The third day would be the scheduled 4th Monday in April, and that would be a holiday if not needed to make up time).
*Add Occupational Therapists and Speech Therapists to the special payment schedule for extended duty day (same as School Psychologists and Social Workers).
*Eliminate requirement to attend/conduct Open House in the fall; only one Back to School Night, to be held no later than the 25th student contact day.
*Eliminate Article 35, Staff Development, which requires training in the Instructional Model within the first two years of employment.
*Maintain current definition of parent conference days: no more than 2 consecutive days, with conference time not to exceed 11 hours and teachers not being required to work more than one day in excess of 8 hours.
*Adjust definition of high school subject areas (regarding teacher load) to reflect current terminology for vocational and computer classes.
*Adjust deadlines for request for lateral movement (June 1) and submission of transcripts (Sept. 20). Pay increase will not occur until October paycheck, but will be the full raise divided by 11.
*Move current rate of pay for teacher substituting for another teacher (.ooo8 of base pay) from Article 8 to the supplemental pay schedule.
*Improve resignation policy to require waiver of resignation fee if a suitable replacement is found.
*Strike language allowing pay to occur at the end of the school year for combining classes when a substitute is not available (pay will occur monthly, as other substitute pay occurs).
*Add paragraph to teacher contract that reads: “Failure by the teacher to maintain teacher certification in the State of Kansas will constitute grounds for cancellation of this contract.”
*Add language to the teacher contract that clarifies pay will occur on the 20th of the month or the workday prior to that if the 20th is a non-banking day.
*Establish a separate contract for supplemental duties.
*Establish non-working days for 08-09 and 09-10 school years:
08-09
Sept 1 – Labor Day
Tues, Nov 11 - Veteran’s Day
Wed-Fri, Nov 26-28 - Thanksgiving
Sat, Dec 20-Sun, Jan 4 – Winter Break
Jan 19 – MLK
Feb 16 – Presidents’ Day
March 16-20 – Spring Break
April 10 – Good Friday
April 27 – Off unless needed for makeup
May 25 – Memorial Day

09-10
Sept 7 - Labor Day
Nov. 11 - Veteran's Day
Nov 25-27 - Thanksgiving
Dec 19-Jan3 - Winter Break
Jan 18 - MLK
Feb 15 - Presidents' Day
March 15-19 - Spring Break
April 2 - Good Friday
April 28 - Off unless needed for makeup
May 31 - Memorial Day

* Add librarian and counselor evaluation tools to the appendix of the negotiated agreement.


If you have questions or comments, please e-mail:
lneanews@gmail.com