Teacher raises approved
BY PAM BRANNON Gulf Breeze News news@gulfbreezenews.com

Rogers

Santa Rosa County teachers have a contract - with raises. Teachers have been working under last year's contract since negotiations for a new contract opened in June. Last Wednesday Santa Rosa County School District officials sat down after a six week break in negotiations with the Santa Rosa Professional Educators union and hammered out a contract. Union president and chief negotiator for the teachers Rhonda Chavers said everyone got a raise.

She said when they started the negotiations several months ago there was a zero percent raise offered in the higher step levels, which involves teachers with the most experience and most degrees. That's because last year they already received a raise. But the union would not accept that, so bargaining continued. Chavers said the union represents about 1,800 teachers and 400 non-instructional education support personnel.

School District Superintendent John Rogers said the bargaining had stopped for about six weeks because of the special sessions happening in Tallahassee, waiting to see if the state legislature was going to make even more cuts to school budgets than they already have this year. But since no more special sessions are scheduled for this fiscal year, and no more budget cuts on the slate, the district went back to the bargaining table to get a contract done.

Chavers said the beginning salary for new teachers just starting in the district is now set at $32,092 - up from $31,042 for the 2008-2009 school year. The union was able to get a $1,050 raise for each step level. She said that means the actual salary increase ranged from 5.46 percent to 8.64 percent for steps 0 through 25. But for the step 25 teachers - of which Chavers aid Santa Rosa numbers about 300 - the raise was right at three percent with cost of living figured in. They received the $1,050, but Chavers said those step 25 plus teachers already received a $4,600 raise last year.

She said they also have the school district paying all additional health insurance costs for teachers. "I'm glad this contract is finally settled," Chavers said. "I just have to believe that all the letter writing done by teachers and supporters helped move the negotiators from the zero percent starting point they were offering."