Tag: teacher pay raise

The Prince George’s County, Maryland, teachers’ union says it has ratified a new 3-year contract with the school district that includes pay raises and increases safety in classrooms.

The ratification vote by the Prince George’s County Educators’ Association comes two months after the agreement was reached between the union and the second-largest school district in the state.

“This contract delivers on what our schools need: safer classrooms, fair workloads, and respect for educators. When we support teachers, students thrive. This is a win for all of Prince George’s County,” said Donna Christy, president of the educators’ association.

According to the union, the new contract improves starting salaries, and includes 9% in cost-of-living pay over the life of the contract.

“With higher prices for food, gas, housing, and other essentials, this contract will help attract and retain experienced educators,” according to a news release announcing the ratification.

The new agreement would minimize paperwork for teachers. Grades would go into one system, to streamline the grading process.

New classroom safety measures would require that if a student shows repeated aggressive behavior, a safety plan is put in place right away.

Special educators and counselors with heavy caseloads would be afforded support to ensure that students don’t fall through the cracks.

WTOP is seeking comment from the school district on the ratification. When the agreement was reached, Shawn Joseph, interim superintendent for the school system said, “This tentative agreement demonstrates what is possible when we lead with purpose and prioritize the people who serve our children daily.”

The ratified agreement still requires approval from the Board of Education of Prince George’s County School Board. Once ratified, the economic provisions of the contract would be retroactive to July 1.