Burlington School District finalizes new teacher contract

The Burlington School District (BSD) and the Burlington Education Association (BEA) have announced the settlement of a new, three-year contract, effective September 1, 2013.
‘This benchmark agreement balances Burlington’s economic position in Chittenden County against the various challenges provided by Vermont’s most urban school district,’ said Alan Matson, Chair of the Burlington School Board. ‘Our teaching staff educates a student body that, along with Winooski, has the most diverse set of socio-economic and racial backgrounds in Vermont. The opportunities, and particularly the challenges, that arise from this diversity are acknowledged in this contract.’
Perhaps most significant is the joint decision to change the basis upon which salary and related economic conditions are negotiated in the Burlington Schools. Referred to as the ‘living contract model,’ Burlington teachers’ compensation will be raised to the middle of Chittenden County teacher pay scales. In addition, the contract focuses more explicitly on the needs of the students in the District. Prior to this agreement, Burlington teachers were ranked 7th or below on the salary schedules for Chittenden County. By the end of three years through a phased-in process, the current agreement will move Burlington teachers up to 5th place in the County. Burlington’s economic status, which typically ranks in the middle to lower third of the County, was also taken into account. The additional monies of 3.1% for the new contract are within what has already been budgeted for FY14. The following two years are an anticipated 4.5% and 4.4% increase of new monies.
‘I am delighted that this document breaks ground on building some new ideas into the contract that reflect our collective commitment to remodeling our educational system for the realities of 21st Century life.’ said Burlington Schools' Superintendent Jeanné Collins.
Also noteworthy in this contract are provisions for accelerating the District’s innovation efforts. Beginning in the second and third years of the contract, individual schools will have much greater decision-making power. If 80% of faculty approves a decision, the school may proceed, in contrast to the previous requirement to go back to the bargaining table every time. In addition, the contract adds a day to the teacher’s school year and introduces a three-year pilot program to significantly boost professional development for teachers through the creation of professional learning communities. Research consistently demonstrates that teacher collaboration significantly improves learning outcomes for children. A more efficient use of meetings times is another provision in the contract. The contract also addresses a struggle that is endemic to urban schools: so-called ‘difficult-to-recruit positions.’ The District is now authorized to pay hiring bonuses and relocation expenses to recruit such teachers to Burlington.
Bob Abbey, BEA President, noted that these negotiations were a model of how talks in the future should be conducted. ‘Both sides agreed to limit their initial proposals and concentrate on creating contract language that gives teachers, principals and District administration the resources and decision-making tools they need to educate Burlington’s diverse student population. We often broke into smaller groups to tackle the proposals that fell within our personal expertise before bringing solutions back to the full teams. This contributed to efficient, issue-driven talks that allowed for honest discussions about how best to support teachers saddled with the difficult task of meeting the restructuring mandates of the State, ongoing District initiatives and rising expectations of academic achievement for all students."
The BSD and BEA reached these agreements without the mediation or fact-finding that often accompanies such negotiations, indicating a spirit of professionalism and commitment to do the right thing for Burlington’s children. ‘I think it was important to both sides to have this agreement settled prior to the start of the school year so we can now jointly focus on achieving our educational goals for the Burlington community,’ reflected Bob Abbey.
Burlington, Vermont - August 27, 2013 - BSD