Teachers finalize contract agreement with USD 443

The Dodge City Public Schools teachers' contract agreement, which includes a 3.35 increase in funding for teachers' salaries, was finalized Friday during a special USD 443 meeting.
    "At the meeting, the teachers voted overwhelmingly to accept the new 2008-09 contract," said Eldon Brandenburg, Dodge City Middle School teacher and chief negotiator for the Dodge City National Education Association.
    The Dodge City NEA and the USD 443 Board of Education began negotiations on the agreement for 2008-09 last spring.
    In addition to providing more funding for teachers' salaries, the two sides adopted a new 20-step teacher salary schedule, reduced from last year's 26-step schedule. The general idea behind the salary schedule is to have teachers move up a step every year until they reach the top of the pay scale.
    Brandenburg said the long-term goal over the next five years is to shorten this schedule to 12 to 15 steps.
    "The main reason is to have teachers move from the beginning salary to a career salary in the shortest possible time," he said.
    The contract for the current school year also expanded the number of sick and personal days that a teacher can carry over to be used in another year in case of an emergency or serious illness.
    Each year, a teacher receives 10 sick days and two personal days. Teachers who do not use all of their allotted days off can carry them over to later years. This number was increased from 100 to 105 days.
    Brandenburg said the goal of the Dodge City NEA and the district is to reach an agreement on each year's contract before the start of the academic year.
    Superintendent of Schools Alan Cunningham said it takes longer to reach an agreement some years, but this year was one of the most collaborative efforts he has witnessed.
    "This was a great year," he said. "The two sides were able to work together really well. Now we can get on with the business of teaching and learning."
 
Reach Cherise Forno at (620) 408-9931 or e-mail her at cherise.forno@dodgeglobe.com.