Anchorage EA

AEA-ASD Bargaining has begun

Anchorage EA
AEA-ASD Bargaining has begun

ASD Initial Proposal

 

Article 105 - Salary Schedule - ASD proposes step and lane movement and increasing the salary schedule by a total of $500 for all cells over three years.  (This is approximately equal to an average of .25% increase per year.)  

 

Article 110 - Salary Schedule Basic Conditions - The District is offering $1,000 "in lieu" bonus for those at the top of the pay scale, allowing 6 years previous experience for new hires for initial placement (up from 5) with a Bachelor's degree and up to 8 years for those with a Master's. (This will not impact current employees).

 

Article 150 - Added Duty Activities - The District proposes allowing addenda positions to be terminated with 30 days written notice.

 

Article 205 - Health Benefits - ASD has not made a proposal in this area and struck the entire article from the contract, essentially proposing no health benefit at all.  *As part of an information request common in bargaining, the District had previously requested claims data from AEA based on our members's insurance utilization rates.  AEA requested this information from the Public Education Heath Trust, who would not make the data available, stating that it is proprietary.  The District cites this lack of access to PEHT data, as well as the findings of a Health Care Authority Feasibility study, funded by Senate Bill 74, http://dhss.alaska.gov/HealthyAlaska/Pages/Initiatives/Initiative-16.aspx, as reason not to propose a health benefit for our members.

 

Article 207 - Resignation Notice - The District would like to put into the contract, penalty language from the Professional Teaching Practices Commission, punishing members who resign during the contract year.  In addition, they propose changing the incentive for declaring resignation (effective at the completion of the contract year) by the last day in March to a lesser monetary incentive, as opposed to the current health benefit incentive.

 

Article 210 - Life Insurance - The District proposes book language.

 

Article 428 - Time at Duty Station - ASD proposes to reduce prep time before and after school by 30 minutes, ostensibly to lengthen the student day by the same amount.  The length of the overall duty day would remain the same.

 

Article 615 - Duration - The District proposes a three year contract.

 

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AEA Initial Proposal

 

Article 105 - Salary Schedule - AEA proposes step and lane movement and a 3.75% increase in the salary schedule next year.

 

Article 110 - Salary Schedule Basic Conditions - AEA proposes;

  • To allow part time members to be credited with their years of experience more accurately,
  • "In lieu" of step bonus be calculated as a percent rather than flat dollar ammount,
  • Allow all previous years of experience in AEA to be counted upon rehire (for those members rehired after a break in employment with the district),
  • Increase the salary supplement for members with national certifications from $2,000 to $5,000/year,
  • Define each instructional period in secondary as .2 FTE,
  • Provide compensation for members scheduled with less than 4 hours per week of planning time.

 

Article 205 - Health Benefits - AEA proposes:

  • Increasing the heath benefit from the current $1,645 to $1,775 per month (an 8% increase, equal to the 8% increase in premiums expected next year),
  • Allow all part time members to receive a health benefit prorated to their FTE,
  • Provide health coverage through the summer for laid off members,
  • Provide health coverage through the summer for members who resign within ten days of an involuntary transfer.

 

Article 210 - Life Insurance - AEA proposes increasing Life Insurance coverage, simply updating to better reflect current salaries. (And similar to language negotiated by the Anchorage Principals' Association.)

 

Article 402 - Academic Freedom - AEA proposes:

  • Protecting a members' right to remain true to their pedagological philosophy and intellectual integrity,
  • More freedom and control of classroom decisions to better meet the needs of their students,
  • Strengthening language to involve members in curriculum, program, policy, and systems change,
  • Requiring the creation of a District plan for implementation of those changes - including appropriate timelines and proper training, prior to implementation,
  • A process to evaluate the effectiveness of such programs to inform best practice,
  • Compensation for participation in required trainings and serving on said committees (or sub time to meet within the duty day),
  • Limit implementation to one new program per year,
  • Freedom to allow elementary students "wiggle breaks" as necessary, in addition to a guaranteed a minimum recess time for students,
  • Freedom from having to submit lesson plans unless part of plan of growth/improvement,
  • Freedom to arrange classroom furniture, materials, and supplies to best meed the needs of planned learning activities.

 

Article 403 - Services with Students With Disabilities - AEA proposes:

  • Giving more voice to IEP teams,
  • Providing training during the duty day,
  • Public posting of the district's Special Education Handbook,
  • Freedom of IEP team members to express concerns,
  • Provide compensation for missed planning time and meetings which extend beyond the duty day for Special Education teachers,
  • Ensure that members are given adequate time to review a new student's IEP prior to their attendance in class,
  • Improving the reporting of violent behaviors in order to better protect students and staff,
  • Provision of necessary specialized equipment to meet IEP requirements,
  • Additional prep time be provided for alternative testing,
  • Additional release time to complete paperwork, tasks, etc.
  • Addendum for Extended School Year preparation.
  • Provide necessary training in dealing with violent behavior for SpEd teachers, regular ed teachers, TA's, etc., to better prevent injuries to staff and students,
  • Improving behavior plans and discipling procedures to better address violent behaviors,
  • Insuring compliance for student/staff ratios for intensive needs classrooms.

 

Article 615 - Duration - AEA proposes a one year contract.  (The team recognizes the stability provided by a multi-year contract and are certainly willing to negotiate as such, but only if the terms are worthy of our members.)