Teachers agree to contract changes
Published on Tue, Sep 6, 2011 by JOURNAL STAFFRead More Local News
For Lake Stevens the reduced funding from the state for the upcoming school year amounts to just over $1.1 million dollars.
The bulk of the cuts handed down are in areas of elimination of class size enhancement funds for K-4, in the amount of $739,000, salary cuts of three percent for administration and 1.9 percent for teachers and staff members equaling $387,000.
The Lake Stevens Education Association (LSEA) today ratified changes to the current contract which will expire in a year.
Providing one additional Personal Day (substitutes are hired when teachers take personal days)
Providing two and 1a half hour early releases for the Fridays prior to Winter Break and Spring Break (December 16, 2011 and March 30, 2012)
The every Friday one hour early releases for collaboration and planning will continue for the upcoming school year beginning Friday, Sept. 9.
In discussions with LSEA both the district and the union had a shared interest to preserve student instructional time. With this agreement the net loss of instructional time for students in grades K-7 is one and a half hours and in grades 8-12 three hours.
Superintendent Amy Beth Cook commented, “Our goal was to work with our unions to preserve the instructional time for our students and to all take a responsible part in addressing the state cuts. These are unprecedented times in education and I am grateful our employee groups recognize the importance of placing the needs of students and student programs first.”
For the 2011-12 school year, there will be approximately 10 fewer elementary teachers due to the decrease in state funding. These positions were decreased through attrition and not extending existing one year contracts. Class size in grades Kindergarten through four will increase on average by two to three students.
The bulk of the cuts handed down are in areas of elimination of class size enhancement funds for K-4, in the amount of $739,000, salary cuts of three percent for administration and 1.9 percent for teachers and staff members equaling $387,000.
The Lake Stevens Education Association (LSEA) today ratified changes to the current contract which will expire in a year.
The agreement provided for the following:
• Restoring one percent of the state reductionProviding one additional Personal Day (substitutes are hired when teachers take personal days)
Providing two and 1a half hour early releases for the Fridays prior to Winter Break and Spring Break (December 16, 2011 and March 30, 2012)
The every Friday one hour early releases for collaboration and planning will continue for the upcoming school year beginning Friday, Sept. 9.
In discussions with LSEA both the district and the union had a shared interest to preserve student instructional time. With this agreement the net loss of instructional time for students in grades K-7 is one and a half hours and in grades 8-12 three hours.
Superintendent Amy Beth Cook commented, “Our goal was to work with our unions to preserve the instructional time for our students and to all take a responsible part in addressing the state cuts. These are unprecedented times in education and I am grateful our employee groups recognize the importance of placing the needs of students and student programs first.”
For the 2011-12 school year, there will be approximately 10 fewer elementary teachers due to the decrease in state funding. These positions were decreased through attrition and not extending existing one year contracts. Class size in grades Kindergarten through four will increase on average by two to three students.
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