On October 14, the United Teachers of Dade (UTD) and the Miami-Dade school district came to a tentative agreement on teachers’ raises, which will start at $1,100 and range up to $2,500, as promised by Governor Rick Scott.
The $70 million deal, planned to be ratified on October 30, will give teachers a 6.5 percent raise. It will also change the set schedule that dictates teachers’ pay and healthcare, although healthcare for educators will remain free.
For most of the 21,000 or more teachers in Miami-Dade, the deal will allow a raise of about $1,300. Teachers with senior status, who have been teaching for a longer period of time, have the opportunity to receive raises up to $6,000. $1,000 to $4,000 bonuses, awarded based on performance, will be given to more teachers this year.
More experienced educators will receive a higher raise than rookie teachers. Less experienced teachers’ salaries will increase by $500 from $40,000, while senior teachers’ salaries will go up by $1,100 to $7,000. However, the “step” schedule that dictates when teachers receive raises will be altered, and the highest raises for senior teachers will be lowered, although they will receive a one-time payment to compensate.
The raise agreement affects not only teachers, but also other school workers, including security guards, paraprofessionals, and secretaries. Along with a $331 initial payment, these workers will also gain a 2.3 percent bonus.
Because the Miami-Dade district was slated to grant about $10 million to charter schools, district and union leaders cautioned that the remaining $53 million would not be enough to fund Governor Scott’s plan. Negotiations were made to keep $50 million strictly to subsidize state raises, promised chiefly to educators.
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