As the school board sat down to approve a long-sought teachers’ contract Monday night, it was clear everyone was ready to move on.
And they did, unanimously voting to pass the three-year contract, which will add roughly $1 million a year in new spending. But not before they and members of the public expressed frustration with what they said was a difficult period in the district.
Betty Hoadley, a former Concord teacher, admonished both sides. She said she was unhappy with the Concord Education Association’s conduct, including that they “took off” the summer for negotiations and how they acted during the school year.
To highlight having no contract, many teachers did not attend the district’s “Back to School Nights.”
“It’s unfortunate you’ve had the activities you’ve had this fall,” she said. “I understand them, but I’m still not in favor of them, as all it does is get in the way of learning.”
Hoadley also had words for the school board.
“You need to understand you’re not the friends of the teachers during that process. They’re not your colleagues, neighbors or constituents, they are district employees,” she said.
Ultimately, Hoadley said she favored passing the contract, if only to restore balance in the district.
“Get us back to calm,” she said. “Get us back to learning.”
Several board members also expressed disappointment with the CEA.
“As a member of the community … I thought that was a sad day in Concord,” said board member Clint Cogswell, of the school night boycotts.
Board members Thomas Croteau and Pam Wicks said they wavered on whether to approve the contract because the process bothered them so much.
“That’s not the level of professionalism I expect from staff,” Croteau said.
Wicks said the negotiation process was “the worst experience I’ve had as a school board member.”
But union president Michael Macri pushed back after the vote, saying any union actions were directed toward the administration.”
“None of the choices made diminished our professionalism and dedication of teachers to their students,” he said.
In the first year of the contract, minimum teacher pay would rise to $43,237 – a 4 percent increase – for a new teacher with a bachelor’s degree, and to $47,561 for a teacher with a master’s degree. Minimum teacher pay would increase by 2 percent in years two and three.
On top of those increases, teachers will also move up in steps based on their years of experience. Between the raises and step increases, most teachers will see year-over-year pay increases between 7 and 9 percent.
Once a teacher reaches the top of the 15 steps, the contract affords 2 percent annual raises until the teacher reaches maximum pay. That pay ceiling increases to $88,268 in year one to $91,837 in year three for teachers with at least 30 credit hours beyond a master’s degree.
Overall, the contract would increase spending the first year by $1,225,000, with $980,000 going toward salaries, $170,000 toward retirement contributions, and $75,000 in social security. Those costs are included in the school district’s current budget of about $87.1 million.
Healthcare remains relatively untouched, with the district continuing to pay 95 percent of the premiums for the majority of teachers and 85 percent for those hired after June 30, 2015.
Concord teachers are among the highest-paid educators in the state. Last year, Concord teachers made an average salary of $73,531, which is the eighth-highest in the state, according to Department of Education data.
In terms of starting pay, Concord teachers were 25th highest of the 155 public school districts in the state, with a minimum starting salary of $40,765 during the 2016-17 school year.
LINK: Concord School District wages for 2017
The previous teacher contract expired Aug. 31 and the school year started with no pay increases. One of the sticking points was retroactive pay – something the CEA secured when they agreed to do two “Back to School” nights in the spring.
Nathan Fennessey, negotiations committee chairman and one of the outgoing board members, said not everyone was pleased with that arrangement.
“I did what I thought was best for the district,” he said. “At that time, our best interest was to get a deal for the kids that day.”