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Hillsborough teachers hope to get some, but not all of their raise money

 
Teachers and Hillsborough County School District officials at contract negotiations on May 23, 2018. For the union: Cherie Miller, Stephanie Baxter-Jenkins, Jean Clements, Lindsesy Blankenbaker. [MARLENE SOKOL | Times]
Teachers and Hillsborough County School District officials at contract negotiations on May 23, 2018. For the union: Cherie Miller, Stephanie Baxter-Jenkins, Jean Clements, Lindsesy Blankenbaker. [MARLENE SOKOL | Times]
Published May 23, 2018

TAMPA — Teachers in Hillsborough County came closer on Wednesday to reaching an agreement with the school district that would give them most, but not all of the pay they expected this past year.

The deal, if it happens, will end a year-long conflict that has led to angry confrontations at board meetings and impassioned criticism of elected officials and superintendent Jeff Eakins.

At stake is approximately $17 million in the form of $4,000 raises that close to 4,000 teachers expected this year under a pay plan that calls for qualified teachers to get raises every three years.

The district wanted to take what it called a one-year "pause" because of budget constraints.

That pause would affect more than just the teachers awaiting the $17 million. Under that scenario, the others would lose a year of service credit as well. And all future raises would be delayed a year.

After the two sides traded proposals and counter-proposals, the union suggested that the district essentially shorten the "pause" to three months. Raises that were expected on July 1, 2017, will have an effective date of Oct. 1, with retroactive payments scheduled in the future.

Similar three-month delays will take place this year and in 2019.

"This shaves some money off and makes it fair," said Stephanie Baxter-Jenkins, executive director of the teachers' union.

Late in the day, the district's negotiators said they would need to discuss the idea with the School Board.

"We actually feel like we've come a long way," said Mark West, general manager of employee relations for the district. "We're also very cautious about committing to something we can't afford."

His plan now is to consult with the board members, who — along with Eakins — are spending most of this week at high school graduations.

Other details still must be hammered out, including language surrounding performance bonuses. The district wants to eliminate those, for a savings of at least $10 million, and replace them with the state's Best and Brightest awards.

To do so and satisfy the union, they need to compensate those teachers who are not qualified, under state law, to take part in the program. Both sides agreed to that idea.

But it's not entirely clear what kind of performance bonus the district will provide in future years, given the uncertainty surrounding the state program.

The two sides must settle on pay and bonus amounts for classroom aides and school secretaries, who will likely see raises of 6 percent.

And the union wants its members to get discounted rates at HOST, the district's after-school childcare program. Those rates now vary for teachers, favoring those whose children attend the same schools where they teach.

The union represents about 18,500 employees, including about 15,000 teachers. Collectively, their support will be important as the district embarks on a campaign to raise sales or property taxes to make up for disappointing funding levels from the state.

The pay plan, designed during teaching reforms that began in 2009 with a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has been controversial for years.

District leaders, who are working to get their budget in line after years of depleting their reserves, have long hinted that the plan was not sustainable.

This year, Eakins drew the line and said the money for raises wasn't there. The teachers argued that it was there, but the district was choosing to spend it for other purposes.

The two sides entered impasse in December and presented their cases at two days of hearings in late April. They are awaiting a recommendation from special magistrate Mark Lurie.

But if they reach an agreement soon, the impasse process can end without a decision.

During their discussion, West said he would like to work with the union after the dispute is settled to design a new pay plan.

Contact Marlene Sokol at (813) 226-3356 or msokol@tampabay.com.