Bedford Central School District, Teachers' Union, Agree to New Contract Terms

The Bedford Central School District and the Bedford Teachers Association announced Thursday that they have agreed to a new contract.

The four-year agreement is retroactive to July 1, 2009, (the day after the last contract expired) and ends June 30, 2013.

According to the announcement, the agreement has the following salary timetable:

• A 2009-10 retroactive salary increase for teachers on steps, and a 1 percent increase for top-step employees.
• A $2,700 non-compounding general payment for 2010-11, and no step salary increase.
• For 2011-12, a 2 percent general salary increase and a one-step increase from two school years before that for eligible teachers.
• For 2012-13, another one-step increase, over the previous school year, and a general pay increase of 1.5 percent.

In addition, insurance contributions from employees would go up. They will start at 10 percent for 2009-10, move to 11.5 percent for 2010-11, increase to 13 percent for 2011-12 and go up to 15 percent for 2012-13.

Teachers would also adhere to a "Professional Development model" beginning in 2012-13, which would involve teachers setting performance-based goals. Criteria for doing it would include using progress of their students, prior evaluations and "targeted initiatives." Teachers who meet their goals will get a stipend, the district announced.

The agreeement is pending ratification from the school board and the union, the district announced. For more details on the agreement, see full the attached press release from the district.

Leaders representing the stakeholders in the process offered their reactions in the media announcement.

School board president Susan Wollin felt that the contract "aligns with our
primary budget goals of achieving high expectations for every student's success in
school, enhanced productivity, efficiency, and slowing the expenditure growth of the district."

Superintendent Jere Hochman praised the agreement for its inclusion of the professional development model.

Adam Yuro, president of the BTA, stressed in his statement that the negotiations were a complicated process with no simple solution," and praised how the process went along, including with assistance of a mediator and ultimately compromise between the different sides.

What are your thoughts on the new union agreement? Feel free to comment below.