Brevard teachers will see boost in pay, better benefits

Teachers in Brevard County are about to get the biggest pay raise they have seen in nearly eight years.



Negotiations between the Brevard Federation of Teachers and Brevard Public Schools ended Tuesday with a contract that boosts teacher pay, extends planning time and cuts a pricey pharmacy deductible included in health insurance plans.



The contract would give teachers rated as “highly effective” a pay increase of $2,400, “effective teachers” $1,962 and brand-new teachers an increase of $1,386.



Additional items include extra planning time through early-release Wednesdays, 35 minutes of protected planning time each week and a teacher workday (March 11) devoted just to planning.



A $300 pharmacy deductible was also stripped from district health insurance plans. National Board Certified teachers will receive a $250 supplement and there will also be increases to academic and athletic supplements.

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Teachers will have the final say, though, on the contract, explained Dan Bennett, Vice President of BFT. Teachers will be given the contract to review and will have the opportunity to vote on whether or not they accept the offer next week. If teachers pass the contract it will go into effect for the 2015-16 year. If they reject it, negotiators will return to the bargaining table. However, Bennett said that BFT is pleased with the contract and that it is a step in the right direction.



“It’s a good deal,” said Bennett “It’s the most the district has offered in awhile and the district was ready to listen about our planning time needs and relief on health insurance.”

Another big victory, said Bennett, is that the district will now fix issues with how teachers are placed on the pay scale based on experience and time. Bennett said this was an issue where some veteran teachers who had a pay freeze years ago were actually making less in some cases than brand new teachers.



“They are finally going to print an accurate placement schedule for new hired teachers. The district has been keeping it very vague, secretive for years how they were placing teachers on the salary schedule and we suspected that there had been some inaccuracies,” said Bennett. “ … We’re happy that they’re now going to be transparent in how they place teachers. That’s been a bone of contention for years.”

Superintendent Desmond Blackburn, who has acknowledged the widespread issue of teacher morale in Brevard, said that this is a positive move for the district.



“This is a great day for the people on the front lines creating valuable experiences for our babies,” Blackburn said. “Our board members were unequivocal in pushing the staff and your superintendent to settle a contract that demonstrates our commitment to the finest educators in the profession.”

Contact Saggio at 321-242-3664, JSaggio@FloridaToday.com or follow@JessicaJSaggio on Twitter.