BLITZ KRIEG PUBLISHING 

How Much Do Huron Valley Teachers Earn?

When we asked the Huron Valley school district for the current employment contracts, we received a copy of the 2003-2005 contract for the teachers. We will post any new and updated contracts that we receive for the 2005-2006 school year.

While the 2003-2005 contract is 80 pages long, we summarized it to educate the public about the following: teacher compensation, teaching hours, time off, insurances, teacher/student ratio, qualifications, and performance reviews.

We also answered the following questions: 1) Who is in charge of the teachers? 2) Are teachers required to join the union? 3)Can teachers legally strike?

How Much are Teachers Paid?

2004-5 Salary Schedule

Also, there is extra pay for coaching athletics, ranging from 2% of a teacher’s salary for those who coach 7th and 8th grade cheerleading, to 12% for the head coaches of varsity football and basketball.

Music and drama directors earn from 8%-10% of their pay for their after school activities. Other activities are compensated for on a flat rate, ranging from a few hundred dollars to $1788 for the debate team.

Department heads also received $887-$1569 extra in 2003-2004. There is extra pay for activities involving curriculum development and staff development, and class advisors received about $800-1539 extra pay.

Duties as a Mentor Teacher are voluntary. Mentors were paid a stipend of $350 per Mentee per year, and were not to accept any more than 3 Mentees at any one time.

There are many definitions and exceptions listed in the contract for the above salary table, depending on the teacher’s date of hire. The language is complicated and makes you realize why we need so many administrative staff members.

Teaching Hours

By law, the calendar has to provide 180 days of instruction.

Teachers are required to work a maximum of 35 hours per week exclusive of a 30 minute unassigned duty-free lunch period each day. 5 hours per week of additional time beyond time spent at the building is a minimum amount of time to be spent furthering educational growth.

Teaching load for middle schools and high schools is as follows: 25 teacher periods and 5 unassigned preparation periods based on a 6 period day; or 25 teaching periods, 5 unassigned preparation periods and 5 assigned preparation/conference periods based on a 7 period day.

Conference periods shall be used for preparation, conferences with parents, teachers and administrators, and special assistance to students. Teachers can not leave the building during conferences, and should not spent this time on any non-school activity.

Elementary teachers are guaranteed an average of 225 minutes per week for preparation time during the instruction day. This can include time spent by a class receiving instruction from a specialist in art, music, physical education, reading and library skills.

Elementary teachers shall supervise the students during recess on a rotating basis.

The Michigan Education Association President is released full-time from his/her regular teaching duties.

Time Off

Each teacher receives ten days for personal illness, up to five of these days can be used for illness of an immediate family member.

In addition, they receive up to two days to attend to religious, medical, legal, family or personal issues. Those employed before 1989 retain banks from prior employment.

There are also professional days for workshops, and compassion leaves of up to 5 days for death of an immediate family member. Standard leave of absences are allowed for pregnancy, military or jury duty.

Central Sick Leave Bank (short term disability): Every new teacher donates 2 days of leave time to a central bank. Any member who leaves donates ½ of his/her unused sick leave.

The first 14 days of disability will be covered by a person’s own accumulated leave, or if they have less than 50 days in their bank, they have to use all of these days up before using the central sick bank.

Teachers may withdraw from the bank the number of days necessary to result in no loss of wages for one year.

Insurances

Teacher health insurances is paid in full for the non-probationary employee and his or her eligible dependents. Domestic partner coverages is available at the employee’s expense.

Michigan Education Special Services Association (MESSA) is the insurer. MESSA is owned by the Michigan Education Assocation.

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The regular full paid health plan has a prescription co-pay of $5 /$10 and a single/full family deductible of $100/$200.

If employees select Michigan Education Special Services Association (MESSA) Super Care Plan, they pay the difference in premiums.

If teachers do not enroll in the program, they received $3,216 in 2004-5. Probationary employees are under MESSA Tri-Med plan. Insurance for part time teacher is paid for on a pro-rated basis.

Dental care for the family is also paid for by the Board. Under the insurance, 80% of most dental bills are paid, as well as 50% of orthodontic bills.

All employees and their families receive vision care, including 80% of the cost of an annual eye exam, frames, lenses and contacts.

The board also provides $45,000 life insurance for each teacher, and up to two years worth of long term disability.

Student Teacher Ratio

In order to provide acceptable class size levels, the Board shall endeavor to maintain the following class size limit recommendations. The size of split grade classes will be reduced wherever possible:

Young Fives – Desired Range 18-24
K – Desired Range 23-26
1st Grade – Desired Range 24-27
2nd Grade – Desired Range 25-28
3rd -5th Grades – Desired Range 25-29
6th – 12th Grades – Class Load Limit 162 total students, excepting music, physical education, typing and study halls.

If a class exceeds desired range by 3 or more students, the teacher or union shall appeal to the Class Size Commission.

The Superintendent shall send the association a summary report of the district-wide elementary classroom teacher-student ratio. This is to be done within one week following the Fall State Pupil Membership Count Day and within one week after each of the first there marking periods.

Teacher Qualifications

All teachers must have a provisional, continuing, professional, or permanent Michigan teaching certificate. Teachers shall not be assigned outside the scope of their certificate, except temporarily and for good cause.

Involuntary transfers may be necessary, but will be made only for good cause. Program needs and seniority shall be considered in such decisions. When qualifications and programs needs are predominantly equal, seniority shall prevail.

Performance Reviews

Probationary teachers are evaluated three times per year by the principal or assistant principal. Tenure teachers shall be evaluated at least once per year under the Tenure Teacher Evaluation Process.

Performance shall be in writing and the source shall be indicated (i.e. actual observation, parent, student or teacher feedback)

There is a formal grievance procedure, as well as procedures for terminating a teacher’s employment.

Can Teachers Strike?

The contract states: “the association agrees that it or the teachers shall not authorize, engage in, condone, or ratify any strike which affects the normal operation of the district. A strike shall be defined to include slowdowns, boycotts, picketing, work stoppages of any kind, including mass sickness and other concerted activities…”

Any teacher involved in a strike may be disciplined without recourse to the grievance procedure.

Question: Is Membership in the Teacher’s Union Required for all Teachers?

No, but the choice isn’t a great one. Here is the langnguage: “Membership in the association shall not be required for employment. However, any teacher not electing to become a member of the association within 30 days from the commencement of his/her duties shall pay as a fee to the association, an amount to be determined by the association.”

In the event that dues or an agency fee shall not be paid, the Board…shall immediately notify said teacher that refusal to pay dues or contribute a fee is just and reasonable cause for termination of employment, and said teacher will not be re-employed for the next school year.

All new teachers are informed of this requirement when being offered employment in the district.

The Board is in Charge

Our elected school board has a lot of power! I wonder why so few people vote in the school elections.

According to the teachers’ contract, the school board retains all rights and powers to manage the school district and directs its employees, including teachers. This includes hiring all teachers, establishing levels and courses of instruction, deciding upon means and methods of instruction, and determining class schedules, hours of instruction, and duties, responsibilities and assignments of teachers and other employees.

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