BARGAINING BREAKTHROUGH

Post date: Jul 28, 2011 1:32:06 AM

In REA/RSD contract negotiations today, the Richland School District agreed to keep salaries "whole" without requiring an increase in class sizes. The District will pay the 1.9% Washington State mandated salary reduction, maintaining current salary schedules. Class sizes will remain at current negotiated levels: teachers who see an increase in class sizes above current negotiated thresholds will receive overload pay. The District's commitment, however, will be for one-year, requiring further negotiation for the 2012-13 school year.

REA and RSD also agreed to other key issues including early release(s) for District in-service(s), secondary conferences, and Special Education case-management.

Elementary teachers will have four early-release days between September and February for District in-service trainings. Secondary teachers will have only three early-release days of required in-service plus one additional early-release day for self-directed planning/preparation. Secondary teachers will also be asked to conduct one parent-teacher conference in the spring with an early-release day following to compensate for the time imposition.

Case managers will not replace resource room teachers in Richland Schools this year. The letter of agreement (LOA) for a case-manager at White Bluffs will expire requiring the District to place a resource room teacher there. Furthermore, a Special Education Team will be organized to investigate the ramifications of creating case-managers at the secondary level, thus delaying District efforts to install them during the coming school year.

The next bargaining session will be Wednesday, August 8, at the WEA-SE office in Kennewick.