Mamaroneck Teachers & School Board OK Contract

Changes in Health Insurance & Teachers’ Time

by Joan R. Simon

(June 5, 2008) After more than a year and a half of negotiations, Mamaroneck teachers ratified a 4-year contract on May 29th by a vote of 370 to 41. The Mamaroneck School Board voted their approval on June 3rd. A tentative agreement had been reached by the negotiating teams on May 12th. (See: Mamaroneck Schools & Teachers Reach Tentative Agreement.)

The contract runs from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2011. Pay increases for teachers start at 3.6% in the 2007-08 academic year and will rise to 3.8% in 2010-11, somewhat higher than the 3.0 – 3.4% range in the previous contract. (See: School Board & Teachers Union Reach Agreement on 4-Year Contract.)

For the first time, teachers will contribute to their health insurance: 4% in 2007-08, increasing to 7% by the final year of the contract. Teachers retiring in July 2008 or later will also be required to contribute to their health care coverage. Commenting on this change, teacher union president Ann Borsellino said that the teachers knew it was “inevitable” that they would have to pay a portion of their health insurance cost.

Both pay increases and the health care contributions for the 07-08 academic year will be apportioned retroactively.

“It’s About Time …”

“It’s about time …” was the slogan teachers proffered in January when negotiations were still moving at a slow pace. (See: Cautious Optimism on Teacher Contract - Time is Sticking Point.) And not surprisingly, issues over time constitute some of the biggest changes in the contract.

High school teachers will be assigned to “professional duty periods.” Ms. Borsellino said that teachers have always had non-teaching tasks, but earlier contracts had not been updated, and the assignments list was “antiquated.” A re-writing of teacher commitments includes special education evaluations (CSE’s), academic intervention services (AIS) for struggling students, hall duties, and team and administrative meetings.

In addition, several new services are being established: an academic lab, in which teachers from the four main disciplines (English, math, social studies and science) will staff a room where all students can go for extra support during their free periods; a support center, staffed by a teacher who will work with students who need more structure in their day and are assigned to the center; and an “open gym,” when P.E. teachers will supervise use of the gymnasiums during periods when physical education classes are not scheduled. Superintendent Dr. Paul Fried explained that the “open gym” will be a chance for students to be active, rather than “just sitting in a hallway doing nothing” during a free period.

The duties of Hommocks teachers have also been revised. During lunch period, teachers will be assigned on a rotating basis to hallway and detention room supervision. “They had a hall duty of sorts before,” Dr. Fried explained, but now the system will be more structured. Students who aren’t behaving at lunch will be sent to the detention room, rather than the principal’s office.

Elementary Half-Days Reduced

At the elementary level, teachers will now have four, rather than six, half-days for parent conferences. Two new after school conference periods running from 2:30 to 5:15 pm will be added to make up the time. “Parents didn’t like that there were so many half-days,” Ms. Borsellino said. “We saw that concern and we tried to meet it.”

Late Year Superintendent’s Conference Days Gone

In addition, the two superintendent conference days that come the end of the year, after classes are over for students, have been eliminated. Dr. Fried noted that “everyone believes that those are less than constructive.” The extra time at the elementary level will be added to faculty meetings during the year. Nine meetings will extend to 4:30 pm and ten others will go until 4:00 pm, giving the building principals and teachers more time to work collaboratively. Meeting times will be extended in a similar fashion at the high school and Hommocks.

At the June 3rd school board study session, which reviewed administrative goals, Dr. Fried emphasized that the contractual changes involving time were all about “getting more time for children … gaining more time for students.”

Maternity Leave Revamped

The terms of child care leave have also been changed. “Obviously,” Dr. Fried pointed out, teachers can leave at any time during the year for maternity leave. But returning from leave will now be permitted only twice a year, on September 1st and February 1st, in order to avoid what Dr. Fried said could be a “very disruptive” experience for students.

Teacher Evaluation Revised

A great deal of time was devoted to revising the Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR), with a subcommittee that met separately from the negotiating team. The APPR is a state-mandated requirement to evaluate all teachers, both tenured and non-tenured, on a yearly basis.

According to Dr. Fried the plan in place before the contract was negotiated was not well conceived. Now he feels the newly-established evaluation process will provide “professional growth plans for every teacher,” and described it as a way to “support teachers who have needs.” He emphasized that “it will affect every teacher in a positive way.”

Ms. Borsellino noted that for teachers “it’s laid out in front what’s expected of you and the things you need to do and what you’re going to be evaluated on.” A big plus, she noted, is that “it’s uniform for everyone throughout the district.”

Dr. Fried agreed. “I think it serves teachers well. It requires accountability for everybody, administrators as well as teachers.” There will be three days of workshops scheduled for training administrators this summer “to work on consistency of evaluation,” Dr. Fried announced at the June 3rd meeting.

What Took So Long?

Why did it take so long to come to an agreement? Personnel changes last spring and the initial defeat of the 2007-08 budget last May were contributing factors. But, as Dr. Fried pointed out, “Some things take a long time. Change is hard.”

“Clearly it’s a bigger change,” than earlier contracts, he noted. “I think past contracts haven’t changed very significantly.”

How does the teacher’s union feel? “Reaching a consensus where all parties buy into it -- that’s what negotiations are all about,” commented Ms. Borsellino. “It’s a fair document – fair to everyone involved.”

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