There was constant stress and tension for those involved with teacher contracts, especially for science teacher Mr. Jeremy Everitt, who had a fairly big role in the latest negotiations for the contracts for the teachers union.

‍

One of the more important results from the contract was about class sizes and the treatment of part time licensed teachers. 

‍

While no major movements were made to lessen class sizes this year, it’s still a major focus. Everitt pointed out the importance of smaller class sizes and how they eventually need to be set in place. Everett said having smaller class sizes means kids get the individualized attention that they need. He described those early grades as the “most critical times for learning how to do school.” 

‍

On the subject of full time equivalents (FTE), Everitt said the issue wasn’t so much about demoting full time teachers but giving part time teachers full time work, but still with part time pay. “They were giving part time employees, and paying them part time wages […] essentially [a] full time job,” he said. 

‍

A later point brought up was about the introduction of teacher leaders. 

‍

This was a concept being discussed all the way back to the last reduction of force. There used to be teacher leaders for the elementary level and the department of coordinators for the high school level. However, the department of coordinators was entirely cut during the last reduction in force. 

‍

Everitt mentioned how teacher leaders are not a restoration of the department of coordinators, but a new role created meant to help teachers. “The idea is there are teacher leaders within the school who will help guide groups of teachers as we are doing the work of educating,” Everitt said.

‍

Teacher leaders will consist not of newly hired employees but already on-staff teachers who will receive a pay increase alongside a plethora of new responsibilities.

‍

Everitt said there were also changes made to elementary teacher prep time in this latest negotiation, a negotiation he said will have historic impact.

‍

Elementary teachers were originally given 30 minutes of protected prep for lesson planning, conferencing, or other responsibilities they had. Their non-protected time was starting to be used up by meetings, committee work, and other tasks. Teachers at McNary have substantially longer prep times, (35-90 minutes depending on the day) causing some of the negotiation to focus on giving more prep time for those elementary teachers. 

‍

“Trying to get some equitable time for elementary teachers to do the work that they need to do to be effective teachers,” Everitt said.

‍

This negotiation is also considered historic. “The highest increase in OLA’s that the Salem Keizer district has done, ever, as far as I know,” Everitt said. 

‍