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REGION 15 BOARD OF EDUCATION DETAILS NEW TEACHER CONTRACT Comparable to Other Connecticut Districts Joseph J. Drauss, Region 15 Board of Education chairperson, detailed the District’s new teacher contract, explaining the increase in required instructional hours over three years and changes in insurance expenses and number of sick days. The new contract was approved at the January 26, 2004 Board of Education meeting after months of intense negotiation between the Board of Education and the Pomperaug Education Association. The contract, which takes effect July 1 and expires June 30, 2007, includes raises in teacher salaries of 4.65, 4.9, and 4.75 percent in each of its three years. The median teacher 2004-2005 salary is $49,809. “These negotiations, although intense, were professionally conducted with a fair outcome,” said Joseph Drauss. “The Board of Education and the Pomperaug Education Association share similar visions and concerns about children, parents, and the community. The two groups negotiated with respect and recognized that their differences were differences of perspective, not philosophy.” Salary increases are but one aspect of the contract and are consistent with salary increases awarded across the state. The new medical benefits package reflects the economic reality that insurance costs are escalating. The need to provide Region 15 students with more enriching and challenging programming required additional instructional time, and as a result, both sides agreed to add 30 hours of instructional time at the elementary and middle school levels and 45 hours at the high school level. “To meet our high educational standards and to comply with the No Child Left Behind law, we will be providing additional face-to-face instructional learning time at all grade levels,” said Dr. Frank H. Sippy, Region 15 school superintendent. “Our District is proud of its reputation for high performance and accountability which has been proven for many years. Parents and taxpayers expect a lot from our students. We are confident our students will learn more and benefit from the additional time with teachers. It is also important to remember that we need the ability to attract, recruit, and retain good teachers. This agreement gives us that ability.” The agreement also eliminates a cap on the amount of money that teachers pay for their health insurance. Depending on which health plan they select, teachers will pay either 12.5 or 8 percent of their insurance expenses. The new contract also reduces the number of sick days available to teachers from 20 to 18. Sick days, although accruable, have no value and cannot be "cashed in" at retirement for additional pay. “When you factor in the extended instructional time, the change in health benefits, and the decrease in the number of sick days, the budgetary impact of the new collective bargaining agreement is less than 4 percent per year,” said Mr. Drauss. “To me, that’s being fiscally responsible to taxpayers.” Click here for names of those on the Negotiation Committee.
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