Teacher contract

Good to see a contract is signed without prolonged negotiations. They get 6.65 over 3 years and deserve every penny. What the taxpayer gets is a detailed approach in making our schools above par. The one thing that I liked was language in the contract that allows the use of "Tools to reduce absenteeism". As some of you may remember, a few budgets ago, teacher absenteeism had cost the Town a million bucks to hire subs. I'm glad they agreed to reducing sick time.

http://framingham.wickedlocal.com/news/20190116/framingham-teacher-pay-to-increase-665-percent-over-three-years

New Contract with the Framingham Teachers Association (Unit A) - The School Committee voted unanimously to approve a new three year contract with Unit A, which includes all teachers, guidance counselors, social workers and adjustment counselors, department heads, nurses, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, physical therapists, school psychologists, academic coaches, coaches of athletics, school librarians, library media specialists, etc.

The FAQ linked below provides a fantastic summary for anyone interested in learning about the top points of this very important effort. 

Here is what I said when describing my support for the contract: "22,000 additional instructional hours for elementary students. More time for co-planning, professional development, and family engagement. Higher compensation to retain and reward our educators for new workload requirements. Work parity across elementary, middle, and high school levels. Expanding parental leave options. Tools to reduce absenteeism. Full alignment with the district’s strategic plan and long term financial strategy. All of this and more resulted in a fair, equitable, and transformational long term contract with the Framingham Teachers Association. This achievement launches a new era for our students and community as we work to address challenges and create opportunities for all who touch the Framingham Public Schools. I expect the implementation of these collaborative changes will set the tone over the next few years and continuously improve our already strong school district. Thank you to the FTA and Framingham Public School leaders for your hard work during more than 50 hours of negotiations, and to all who work in our school district."