The Alabama Education Association Won Big for ESPs in the Legislature

This year, the Alabama legislature welcomed a significant number of new legislators (one-third of the total body) and was sitting on a budget surplus. Alabama Education Association (AEA) saw the tremendous opportunity to move their agenda. They held legislative contact team meetings with members and legislators throughout the session and concluded with an ESP Day at the Capitol with more than 400 ESPs in attendance.

Highlights

• Secured a minimum salary of $15 an hour for all ESPs, effective Oct. 1, 2023
• Created a new salary matrix, which resulted in some nurses receiving a 78 percent pay increase
• Secured a 2 percent or 3 percent pay increase for all K-12 educators, effective Oct. 1, 2023, depending on time in service
• Defeated a school voucher bill that would have removed nearly $575 million from the Education Trust Fund 

Meanwhile, in a state where the legislature passed historic pay raises for teachers in 2022, AEA Executive Director Amy Marlowe pointed to a decrease in teacher retirement rates—and the return of many retirees to the profession: “We didn’t expect people who had been retired—some maybe 10, 15 years—saying, ‘You know what, I’ve got a chance here to permanently raise my retirement for the rest of my life, so I’m going to go back in and take advantage of it,’” she said.

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A Step Closer to Pensions for Public School Employees

NEA-Alaska is closer than ever to restoring a pension option for public school employees! All educators deserve a real retirement that they can count on, and thanks to progress made in 2023, NEA-Alaska is well-positioned to pass legislation next session to make that happen. 

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Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Alaskan educator Tommy Varela-Kossak has seen firsthand how he can make a difference through his union. His story:

Improved Working Conditions and Salary Increases

Arizona Education Association (AEA) local leaders and members worked year-round to push for better wages, benefits, and working conditions for educators in their area. Many locals have recently won wages and salary increases—such as a 10 percent raise for all employees in Tempe. Others have successfully fought for retention stipends, including in Tucson, where educators won a $7,500 stipend for returning staff.

In Douglas, educators addressed wage compression, winning additional pay for teachers based on years served with the district. Other locals have made recent gains when it comes to ensuring fair working conditions—such as prep periods and additional pay for work after the school day ends.

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Join the Arizona Education Association

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Arizona educator Amanda Ramirez has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

Preserving an Inclusive View of American History in Little Rock

When extreme partisans attempted to remove the AP status for an African American History course, Little Rock educators joined forces to defy the decision—inspired in part by an interview CNN conducted with the Arkansas Education Association. The national attention helped to put the pressure on the bad actors, and gave brave school districts a platform to speak out. 

Together educators will continue to speak up, fight for, and win protections that secure our students' freedom to learn.

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An Expanded Investment in Community Schools

In a victory for San Diego students and communities, San Diego Education Association (SDEA) educators reached an agreement in April on a contract that stipulates an ongoing and expansive commitment to community schools.

The SDUSD Community School Initiative acknowledges and supports the proven community schools model to advance racial justice and quality education in high-need school communities. This agreement builds on community school agreements won by United Teachers of Richmond, Natomas Teachers Association, and Montebello Teachers Association, ensuring union wins invest in and uplift entire school communities.

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Join the California Teacher Association

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! California educators Joe McCormick and Quyen Nicol have seen firsthand how they can make a difference through their union. Their story:

Higher Pay Statewide for Beginning Teachers

After a successful round of bargaining, the Westminster Education Association (WEA) now has the highest starting salary in the state. The district will pay beginning teachers nearly $61,000, according to a new contract. 

The Cherry Creek district announced that new teachers will start at $57,000 next year. And new contracts negotiated last summer in Denver and Jeffco set starting salaries at about $50,000 for new teachers.

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Join the Colorado Education Association

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Colorado educator Zander Epps has seen firsthand how he can make a difference through his union. His story:

More Money for Teachers and Infrastructure, Plus New Teacher Evaluation Guidelines

The strength of Connecticut Education Association’s (CEA) 43,000 members and #RedforEd activism resulted in numerous wins for Connecticut students and classrooms in 2023. 

The state legislature passed $150 million in additional education funding, which CEA is working to direct toward teacher salaries. They also passed an additional $150 million to establish school indoor air quality standards and inspections. 

Other wins resulting from CEA’s advocacy include:

• Securing classroom safety protocols and school climate improvement plans to address and prevent challenging student behaviors
• Prohibiting the use of edTPA in determining qualifications for teacher certification
• Extending the availability of funding for student mental health supports, including expansion of counseling and social emotional services
• Greater charter school accountability
• An English learners bill of rights, including more access to translation services increased support for paraeducators 

The State Board of Education unanimously approved new educator evaluation guidelines that focus on growth rather than compliance, reducing the burden on teachers so they can focus on their students instead of paperwork. Serving on the state’s Educator Evaluation and Support (EES) Council, CEA worked together with other education stakeholders for more than two years, learning, reflecting, collaborating, planning, and eventually redesigning the state’s teacher evaluation guidelines.

The new evaluation guidelines do away with ratings, align teacher and administrator evaluations, and respect that there are differences between districts and between those holding different roles in their schools.

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Join the Connecticut Education Association

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Connecticut educator Mariza Davila-Madwid has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

Committed to Lead in Educator Compensation

Educator compensation is on the forefront in Delaware! Educators fought for legislation that formed the Public Education Compensation Committee, and this year the committee will present the Governor with a plan to lead on educator compensation in the region. This legislation will allow Delaware to attract and keep quality educators in the state.

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Join the Delaware State Education Association

Salary Increases Across the Board

When Florida’s minimum educator salary jumped from $45,700 to $47,500 this summer, it resulted in salary compression for many school districts. At Escambia County Public Schools, the wage hike depleted the district’s salary funds, leaving veteran teachers without a significant pay increase.

After three rounds of collective bargaining, the Escambia Educators Association, the Union of Escambia Education Staff Professionals, and the district agreed to a 3 percent bump for all educators for the 2023-2024 school year, based on the employee’s previous salary. Teachers will also be eligible for performance-based bonuses, with those rated "effective" receiving $200, and those rated "highly effective" receiving $400.

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Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Florida educator Shelby McDaniel has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

Public Schools Benefit from the Largest Budget in State History

Last year, members from the Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) came together to advocate for public schools and helped win the largest budget in state history. The new budget provided for an increased investment in public schools, improving the conditions for students and staff. The budget wins include:

• A $2,000 permanent pay raise for state-funded, certified K-12 teachers
• Bonuses of $1,000 for school custodians 
• A 5.1 percent increase in the state-funded part of salaries for cafeteria workers, school bus drivers, and school nurses
• $27 million to provide for additional school counselors based on the population for special education and gifted students
• An increase in monthly pension benefits for cafeteria workers, school bus drivers, custodians, and school maintenance personnel whose retirement is administered by the Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS)
• $6.3 million for reduced-priced breakfast and lunch programs

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Join the Georgia Association of Educators

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Georgia educator Ty Cook has seen firsthand how he can make a difference through his union. His story:

A New Contract Delivers Wins for Educators and Students

The Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) is the exclusive representative of 13,700 public school teachers statewide. In 2023, the HSTA reached a contract that will help to recruit and retain teachers and give further stability for Hawaii’s keiki to have highly qualified teachers in their classrooms. 

The contract includes:

• An average raise of 14.5 percent over four years
• The creation of Class VIII
• Increases in employer contribution to health premiums
• Bonuses for veteran educators
• 21 hours of job-embedded professional development  

Additional improvements in teacher working conditions, travel, assignments and transfer, due process, and teacher protections are included in the agreement. The agreement also calls for the creation or continuation of a series of workgroups to address important issues in career and technical education (CTE), Hawaiian education, transfers, leave, student discipline, and English learners.  

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Members Thwart School Voucher Efforts and Win Teacher Pay Increase

Idaho Education Association (IEA) members lobbied hard, almost every single week of the session, to stop vouchers and get priority budget items through. Ultimately, after IEA members stopped seven voucher bills, these budgets were passed by the legislature during the last week of the session.

Zero concessions were made to partisans or voucher proponents—as educators came together and forced these budgets through by building massive grassroots and grasstops political momentum, leveraging the ability to build relationships with GOP lawmakers, and using every advocacy method the union's disposal. Only two legislators voted against the teacher pay increases. It was all hands on deck and IEA members got it done!

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Join the Idaho Education Association

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Idaho educator Mrs. Bo has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

Kewanee Teachers and Staff Secure Historic New Contract

After more than six months and the help of a federal mediator, the Kewanee Education Association negotiations team and Kewanee Community Unit School District 229 Board of Education have accepted a new contract.

The contract included won historic pay increases and established a shared understanding of the meaning and value of a wage schedule. The wins for local educators mean a better education, better schools and a better community for all Kewanee students. 

This new contract:

• Creates a joint committee with members from the board of education and KEA: This committee was something KEA fought hard for, and we believe it is an opportunity for collaboration and growth. It provides a new avenue for KEA to advocate for our students.
• Includes a teacher shortage fix: The new contract will provide funds for education support staff interested in earning their teacher certification, which will help Kewanee keep dedicated educators in our district. This will also improve our educators’ working conditions and our students’ learning conditions by bringing more teachers into the profession and addressing the teaching shortage.
• Provides historic wage increases for Kewanee teachers and staff: In the first year of the contract, all licensed employees earned a raise of at least 5 percent and hourly staff earned an increase of $1.50 per hour. Some members whose salaries had been frozen (hired 2017-22) will earn 9 percent more than 2022-23 in order to address the wage compression.
• Includes backpay: The new wages in this contract will be retroactive to the end of the last contract, which expired on Aug. 15.

KEA represents more than 200 teachers, counselors, bus drivers, classroom aides, secretaries, cafeteria workers and nurses serving the nearly 2,000 students in Kewanee CUSD 229.

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Join the Illinois Education Association

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Illinois educator Diego Marin has seen firsthand how he can make a difference through his union. His story:

Western School Corporation Teachers to Receive an Average Raise of 6.93%

Western educators won a new contract that includes a 4.93 percent increase to the salary schedule, bumping starting salary to $44,000 and raising the maximum educator salary cap to $74,807. “It’s the best agreement I can recall, the most movement on pay,” said Brad Bennett, president of the Western Education Association.

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Join the Indiana State Teachers Association

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Indiana educator Emma Taylor has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

Increased Benefits for Special Education Teachers

Members of the Independence Teachers Association got their district to agree to a number of changes that would improve working conditions for special education teachers. The wins include: 

• Excusing special education substitutes from regular district professional development, so special education teachers can get more planning time
• Hiring half-day substitutes when IEPs are coming due
• Changing the building schedule for the second half of the year to ensure special education teachers get a duty-free lunch

These changes are crucial as schools across the nation face staffing shortages in their special education programs.

Join the Iowa State Education Association

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Iowa librarian Amy Drake has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

Protecting Educators’ Planning Time

Due to the organizing work of educators and the bargaining team in Olathe, the local's new contract increased protections for elementary special education teachers' planning time (the previous contract provided no guarantee of protected time for SPED teachers). The contract also provided extra compensation for all teachers who have to give up their planning time to manage student behaviors or other building crises.

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Join the Kansas National Education Association

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Kansas educator Kraig Westhoff has seen firsthand how he can make a difference through his union. His story:

Educators in Breckenridge County Get an Average 6% Raise

Educators in Breckenridge County showed the power of their voices by advocating for, and winning, an average 6 percent raise for the 2022-2023 school year. Originally, educators were expecting the county’s standard 1 percent salary increase, which kept raises below the rate of inflation and behind neighboring districts.

The Breckinridge County Educators Association pushed back, citing a report from the Kentucky Education Association that showed administrator positions were expected to receive massive raises for the upcoming year. They also shared their experiences as passionate educators trying to make a living in the county. The school superintendent said that after hearing from educators during several board meetings, they were going to reexamine the issue of pay increases for educators.

In addition to the raises for current educators, the board also approved raising substitute pay for retired teachers. These changes will help attract new educators, keep the best educators working in the county, and create better learning environments for students.

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Join the Kentucky Education Association

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Kentucky educator Carly Barrett has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

Louisiana Schools Made Safer for Students and Educators

Louisiana Association of Educators members supported two bills that made schools safer for educators and students. Act 56 and Act 164 were signed into law, protecting educators from liability during behavior intervention and revising policies to require administration to report threats of violence and implement measures to provide for ongoing protection of the safety and lives of all students and staff at the school.

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Join the Louisiana Association of Educators

Maine Educators get Increased Pay, Paid Sick Days, and More

Maine educators in Oxford Hills, Frenchville, St. Agatha, and Saco won important changes through contract negotiations, including increased pay, gains in paid sick time and sub relief, and changes in their teacher evaluation systems! 

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Join the Maine Education Association

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Maine educator Victoria Leet has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

New Budget Includes Record Amount of Funding for Maryland Public Schools 

Elections have consequences, and MSEA’s (Maryland State Educators Association) work in 2022 to help elect education champions in Annapolis led to great results for our students and schools during the 2023 General Assembly session. The $62.5 billion budget that lawmakers agreed to includes historic levels of funding for public education, setting a record for public school funding.

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Join the Maryland State Education Association

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Maryland educator Keith Kelsey has seen firsthand how he can make a difference through his union. His story:

MTA Helps Win $2 Billion Annually for Public Education and Transportation

The Massachusetts Teachers Association and its 117,000 members were instrumental in securing passage of the Fair Share Amendment, which brings upwards of $2 billion of additional budget each year for public education and transportation needs. 

Union educators working in schools, colleges, and universities across the state have been tireless advocates for the funding our students need, and we are seeing the benefits from the effort, including:

• $727 million more than our public schools what would have received had we not passed the Student Opportunity Act in 2021.
• $150 million more in financial aid for our students attending public colleges, with a commitment to win free community college for all, the first step toward a debt-free public higher education system.
• Access for many adjunct faculty and staff, and ESP members, to affordable health insurance through the state’s ConnectorCare program.
• The end of a 60-day waiting period for public higher education employees to access health insurance.
• In-state tuition rates for all Massachusetts residents, including immigrants.
• $100 million to create more environmentally friendly school buildings.
• $12 million to plan for free community college starting in the fall of 2025.
• For many school districts, a doubling from $30 to $60 per student in minimum aid.

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Learn More About the Massachusetts Teachers Association

** To become a member: If you are an education employee in a public school in Massachusetts, and you know or can obtain the name of the local MTA president, he or she will be able to provide you with membership information. In addition, you can contact the MTA Division of Affiliate Services at 617-878-8208 or 800-392-6175 x8208 to obtain contact information for MTA leaders in your school or general membership information. Also, you can request information by emailing [email protected].

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Massachusetts educator Chelsea Brandwein-Fryar has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

Michigan State Lawmakers Invest in Pro-Education Policies

Thanks to countless hours of volunteering by Michigan Education Association (MEA) members, the state legislature secured a pro-education majority for the first time in nearly 40 years. All of that work is paying dividends for educators and students!

Since taking power, the legislature has repealed a series of anti-educator laws that were put in place over a decade ago, and restored school employees’ voices in the workplace. The House and Senate has also approved a record education budget that includes increased per-student funding for local schools, additional resources for at-risk students and children with special needs, and universal free school meals. On top of that, the new education budget also invests in educator recruitment and retention by providing student loan assistance for aspiring educators, stipends for student teachers, and special funding for school districts to increase educators’ salaries.

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Join the Michigan Education Association

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Michigan educator Kim Huls has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

Historic Education Budget is a Boon for Minnesota Teaching and Learning 

Governor Tim Walz signed into law historic budgets for education and labor that will provide sweeping improvements to the teaching and learning environments in Minnesota’s schools and campuses. Highlights of the new education budget includes $5.5 billion in new funding over the next four years include:

• An increase to the state’s per-pupil formula of 4 percent in the first year of the budget and 2 percent in the second year of the next budget. 
• $64 million in the next biennium for more student support personnel to address shortages of counselors, psychologists, social workers, nurses and chemical dependency counselors in Minnesota schools. 
• $60 million in the next biennium for the Increase Teachers of Color Act and millions more for teachers licensed to work with students with special needs. 
• Full-service community schools would receive a $7.5 million boost for two years and then $5 million per year in the future.   
• A provision in the tax bill would spend $97 million to enable most Minnesota teachers to retire with a full pension a year earlier by reducing the normal retirement age from 66 to 65 while increasing contributions from employers and employees. 
• A historic 12 percent increase in funding for Minnesota State’s two- and four-year higher education campuses.  
• Tuition freezes for current students at all Minnesota State colleges and universities.   
• An additional $50 million in one-time money for campuses to shore up budgets and address ongoing structural deficits.
• Expanding topics of bargaining to include staffing ratios in public schools. 
• Providing the same continuing contract and due process protections for early childhood and adult education teachers as K-12 teachers, which should lead to increased compensation and more professional respect for the teachers of districts’ youngest and oldest students. 

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Join Education Minnesota

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Minnesota educator Mandi Jung has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

An Additional $120 Million for Mississippi Public Schools

The 2023 legislative session ended with two exciting victories for Mississippi educators and public schools. The legislature passed House Bills 1613 and 817, increasing general funding for public schools by $120 million and increasing funding for early learning collaboratives to $2,500 per day per full-day student.

The members of the Mississippi Association of Educators helped make these victories possible by showing up in full force to make their voices heard. Staff and educators held hundreds of one-on-one organizing conversations, sent over 2,300 messages to legislators, made over 50 calls to the Speaker of the House in one day, shared more than 100 “what would funding mean to our students” stories, and participated in several lobby days at the state Capitol.

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Join the Mississippi Association of Educators

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Mississippi educator Andrea Watson has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

Major Wins for Retired Missouri Educators

The Missouri NEA advocated for improvements to the state's school retirement systems and won important changes. SB 20 and SB 75 and went into effect August 28, 2023, providing new protections and benefits for retired educators. The legislation:

• Restores the 2.55 percent benefit factor for 32 or more years of PSRS service credit for persons retiring on or after the effective date. This provision will apply to those whose retirement becomes effective on or after this date.
• Increases the earnings limit for PSRS retirees working part-time in PEERS positions to 133 percent of the Social Security earnings limit (currently $28,249) for the next five years, and then 100 percent of the earnings limit (currently $21,240) thereafter. In practice, this provision will be available for this school year, as retirees will not have exceeded the existing $15,000 earnings limit before the higher limit takes effect on Aug. 28. 
• Extends the critical shortage employment option from two years to four years and increases the allowed number of critical shortage teaching positions in a district to the greater of 5 or 1 percent of the total number of teaching and non-certified staff positions in the district. PSRS staff will be collaborating with employers to create a process where current critical shortage staff will be able to use the extended authorization for this school year if needed.
• Preserves the PSRS-eligible status for speech implementers employed before Aug. 1, 2022, who are employed on or after Aug. 28, 2023, as a speech-language pathology assistant.
• Provides a same-sex domestic partner pop-up provision for retirees with similar documentation requirements to the divorce pop-up provision in current law.

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Join Missouri NEA

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Missouri educator Chris Campbell has seen firsthand how he can make a difference through his union. His story:

Great Falls Office Personnel Win Contract with 8% Salary Increase 

After seven months of negotiations, the Great Falls Public Schools District and the members of the Montana Federation of Public Employees (MFPE) agreed on a pay raise of 8% for Great Falls office workers. Over the three years of the contract, starting wages will climb to between $16.40 to $19.82 an hour, up from the current rate of $13.59 to $16.73.

“What a week,” exclaimed Association of Office Personnel President Daneen Pate. “On Monday, we were picketing and testifying at the school board meeting. Just four days later, we’re celebrating a monumental win. We know what it took to win this fair agreement and that includes the good faith negotiating we saw from district leaders.” 

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Join the Montana Federation of Public Employees

Supporting Equity and Protecting Educator Voices in Nebraska

Educators in Nebraska are coming together to improve the working conditions of staff and the learning conditions of students.

• Recruiting diverse educators: In the few years since the Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA) began its Rising Educator program, the number of high school students in its Educators Rising program—which supports students interested in education-related careers—increased from 40 to more than 600. This program not only helps to recruit local educators, but has also been key to promoting diversity in the Nebraska school workforce.

  Currently, 96% of the educator workforce in Nebraska is white. This reality fails to represent the diversity of Nebraska's students. The Educator Rising program is helping to close the gap: nearly 40% of participants are from communities of color. 

• Saving Collective Bargaining Rights: In Wynot, union staff worked with educator members to ensure that their union bargaining rights were protected long term. During contract negotiations, the district brought a new agreement to Wynot negotiators—with some “minor” changes to the previously agreed upon language, which would have caused local educators to lose all bargaining rights. After working with union staff to understand the implications of these changes, Wynot Education Association members refused to sign the new version of the agreement. The district backed down and everyone agreed to sign the original contract agreement, saving educators’ bargaining rights!  

Join the Nebraska State Education Association

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Nebraska educator Josh Monroe has seen firsthand how he can make a difference through his union. His story:

Largest ESP Local Lands Huge Contract Wins in Nevada

School support staff in Clark County, Nevada won a contract that included raises and put in place a $15 an hour minimum wage. Members of the Education Support Employees Association (ESEA) represent a variety of educators vital to the success of Nevada schools, including bus drivers, Specialized Programs Teacher Assistants (SPTA), custodians, food service workers, skilled trades, facilities maintenance, and office staff.

The new contract includes:

• $15 per hour minimum for all support professional positions
• Salary scale increase:
  • Year one: 8.65% increase in compensation (inclusive of the 1.875% increase that was already provided as of July 1, 2023) plus one-step advancement on the salary schedule;
  • Year two: 2% salary increase plus one-step advancement on salary schedule.
• Healthcare increase: Year one 15% increase to CCSD’s contribution; Year two increase of 5%
• Various internal compensation adjustments.

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Join the Nevada State Education Association

Increased Pension Benefits for New Hampshire Retirees

NEA-New Hampshire advocated for and won a change to how pensions are calculated. Now, retired educators aged 65 and 66 will receive 10 percent more for those two years. 

House Bill 2 modified the effective date of the statutory pension recalculation for members of the New Hampshire Retirement System. In 1988, the Legislature de-linked Group I pension benefits from Social Security, but left in the law a pension recalculation provision that reduced Group I pension benefits by approximately 10 percent at age 65. This is the section of the law that was changed in 2023, moving the pension 

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Join NEA New Hampshire

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! New Hampshire educator Julie Cusano has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

New Budget Increases Funding for New Jersey Schools, County Colleges, and Educator Pensions

Educators in New Jersey advocated for, and won, major investments in local public schools. The latest state budget increases school funding, provides another full pension payment, and gives much-needed additional aid to New Jersey’s county colleges.

Additionally, it provides funding for an Office of Community Schools, which will benefit students and communities across New Jersey. It also provides funding for work climate innovation grants for public schools and stipends for student teachers—both of which were proposed by the Governor’s Educator Shortage Task Force, on which President Spiller and three NJEA members served.

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Join the New Jersey Education Association

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! New Jersey educator Jessica Ippolito has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

A Record Investment in New Mexico Public Schools, Including Incentives to Increase Retention

This year saw significant progress for New Mexico students, educators, and schools, including some meaningful legislative wins. Together NEA-New Mexico educators advocated for, and won, improvements to educators’ working conditions and students’ learning environment.

State wins include:

• $4 billion for New Mexico public schools, the largest amount invested in education in the history of the state
• $142 million for the Public School Capital Outlay Fund, with major appropriations targeting two areas: $65 million for career technical education, pre-kindergarten facilities, and general maintenance; and $35 million for school security improvements
• An increase to the At-Risk factor in the State Equalization Guarantee (SEG) from .30 to .33, increasing schools' operating budgets by approximately $32 million to address at­-risk students' needs
• Free school meals for all public and charter school students
• Secured a six percent pay raise for all public school employees
• Increased the statutory minimum salary for educational assistants from $12,000 to $25,000
• Won 80 percent health care coverage for any education employee making under $50,000; 70 percent for educators making between $50,000 and $60,000; and 60 percent for all other education employees
• Removed the cap on district coverage of educator health care costs, enabling locals to bargain for 100 percent coverage

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Join NEA-New Mexico

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! New Mexico educator Jason McKinney has seen firsthand how he can make a difference through his union. His story:

New York Schools Budget Includes $2.6 Billion for Tools and Resources for Students

This year, the Senate and Assembly passed a flurry of bills that New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) members fought hard for. These changes will make New York public schools stronger for all state educators and students. Highlights include:

• The state fulfilled its promise to fully fund Foundation Aid. New York state school aid totals $34 billion and includes a $2.6 billion Foundation Aid increase. This investment means students will get more of the tools and resources they need to thrive in the classroom. 
• The legislature passed a bill to include public schools in the state’s Workplace Violence Protection Act. Schools will be required to complete a risk assessment to evaluate workplace violence and develop and implement programs to prevent and minimize it. Staff would be able to request an inspection by the Departments of Labor if dangerous environments are not being addressed. 
• The legislature approved a change requiring an independent officer to oversee disciplinary hearings for school staff and other public employees. This bill gives both the employer and the employee equal opportunities to present their respective cases. It would also ensure that the employee is not suspended without pay while any charges are pending.
• The legislature passed a bill that requires the state education department to develop guidelines for Grow Your Own initiatives, aimed at attracting underrepresented candidates to teaching. Representation in schools matters, and NYSUT is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce, encouraging students of color to consider a career in education and supporting educators of color through professional development. The state education department will work with districts and higher education institutions to develop strategies for recruitment such as creating an early pipeline in secondary school, establishing partnerships with community-based organizations, and identifying existing funding sources. 
• Lawmakers passed a bill that would ban mandatory anti-union meetings in the workplace. NYSUT believes employees should not be forced to listen to employer speech concerning the exercise of their statutory labor rights, especially during organizing campaigns. The bill will prevent employers from requiring workers to attend meetings in which the company expresses its religious or political views, including the choice of whether to join a labor organization.

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Learn More About New York State United Teachers

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! New York educator Emily Aierstok has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

Educators in Gaston County Win Payroll Fix

A year after school employees in Gaston County began having payroll issues due to the implementation of a new system, Gaston County Schools agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE).

The mishap impacted thousands of educators in the district, which resulted in employees being underpaid or not getting paid at all. NCAE members organized and mobilized to bring attention to the issue by coordinating town hall meetings, school walk-ins, and RedforEd Wednesday’s. Members, along with their colleagues, also sent more than 2,000 emails to policymakers and made impressive showings at school board meetings.

Since the filing of the lawsuit and with the insistence of Gaston NCAE members, GCS has implemented a streamlined system for employees to have payroll issues resolved promptly. This system has been in place for several weeks and is working. As part of the settlement agreement, NCAE and GCS agree to resume regular meetings to ensure payroll and other related matters are resolved amicably.

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Join the North Carolina Association of Educators

Expanding Free School Lunches in North Dakota Schools, Without Stigma

When North Dakota educators saw other states pass free school meals, they wanted the same benefits for their students. After several rounds of bills and an incredible outpouring of messages to legislators from North Dakota United members and partners like the AFL-CIO, the legislature secured a $6 million dollar bill to cover costs of meals for students whose parents or guardians make less than 200 percent of federal poverty, which equates to $60,000.

In addition to this funding, North Dakota United members also helped pass House Bill 1494, which prevents stigmatization or penalization of a student for having an unpaid lunch debt. Practices like withholding meals, using lunch tokens, placing a child’s name on a list of those with lunch debt, or limiting participation in school activities are no longer allowed. This bill easily passed through both chambers and is now a law!

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Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! North Dakota educator Risha Allen has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

Ohio Educators Secure Statewide Salary Raises

In addition to implementing the next phase of the Fair School Funding plan to ultimately ensure that all children can get the resources they need to thrive and succeed, the Ohio General Assembly agreed to increase the minimum teacher salary form $30,000 to $35,000 in the latest state budget, with the minimum salary schedule above that adjusting accordingly.

This is a result of the tireless advocacy of Ohio Education Association (OEA) members working with their legislators, and is an important step in addressing Ohio’s educator recruitment and retention challenges. OEA members will continue to use their united voices in 2024 and beyond to advocate for greater gains for teachers and education support professionals alike, so education can be an attractive, sustainable career for generations to come.

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Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Ohio educator MoNique Waters Kirkland has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

Providing Dignity and Support for Grieving Teachers in Oklahoma 

Jordann Hardin, a third grade teacher at Northridge Elementary School in Putnam City, suffered a miscarriage just two days before she was to attend the NEA Representative Assembly in Chicago. Thinking the trip would provide a needed distraction, Hardin chose to attend the RA, where she learned about a New Business Item under consideration. It read:

"A teacher, as an expectant parent, spouse, who suffers a pregnancy loss, including but not limited to chemical pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, muller pregnancy, miscarriage, terminated for medical reasons, stillbirth, neonatal loss shall be eligible for bereavement leave." 

“I saw the word ‘miscarriage,’” Hardin remembered, “Obviously, I was still going through the grief of my own, so it caught my eye.” 

“I knew when I got back to Oklahoma that I needed to bring that language to Putnam City,” Hardin said. “I was the sixth teacher in two years in my building to have a miscarriage and teachers were using their sick days to grieve the loss of a baby. Miscarriages occur in one in four pregnancies.”

The Putnam City Public Schools administration was instantly receptive. “I found out we were the first district in the entire country to ratify that language,” said Hardin. 

She hopes other districts are able to follow suit to provide educators with the dignity and support they deserve.

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Historic Win for Portland Educators and Students

For 15 days, thousands of Portland teachers rallied and marched. They sang themselves hoarse. Pounded their feet until they ached. Standing together, locking hands, beating drums, growing stronger, they struck for the schools their students deserve—and they refused to back down.

In the end, they won. On November 26, their union, the Portland Association of Teachers, an affiliate of the Oregon Education Association and NEA, announced a tentative agreement with Portland Public Schools, bringing an end to the citywide strike. Through their strength and solidarity, union members won improvements on every key issue—from class size to planning time to mental health supports to safe schools to pay.

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Join the Oregon Education Association

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Oregon educator Kristen Guarino has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

New Bill Add Funds to Pennsylvania Public Schools

After months of member advocacy, the Pennsylvania legislature passed a bill that will invest in educator working conditions and student learning conditions. House Bill 301 ensures that $261 million in overdue funding gets to Pennsylvania’s community colleges and releases $100 million to support student mental health needs. The bill also funds a new School Environmental Repairs Program, which provide needed resources to remediate toxic environmental hazards in Pennsylvania schools.

Another win included in the bill is the authorization of stipends for aspiring educators while they complete their 12 weeks of student teaching. Many aspiring educators have to give up part-time jobs to complete their student teaching and struggle just to afford the commute, which can be an hour or more each way. Paying student teachers a modest stipend will remove a heavy financial burden on the way to becoming a teacher.

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Join the Pennsylvania State Education Association

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Pennsylvania educators Jill Helsel and Jill Lane have seen firsthand how they can make a difference through their union. Their story:

East Greenwich Educators Unite for Fair Contract

Support staff in East Greenwich, New Jersey negotiated for a fair contract, and won big! After months of back and forth with the district, paraprofessionals and other education support professionals were joined by teachers and custodial staff, wearing all black and solidarity stickers, to send a strong message: "WE ARE UNITED for a FAIR CONTRACT!" 

By standing together, educators in East Greenwich were able to secure a contract for educator support professionals that included additional personal days, yearly step increases and raises, and increased employer contributions to health care benefits.

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Paid Parental Leave for South Carolina School Employees

Educators in South Carolina have been advocated for better working and learning conditions for staff and students. Recently, through the support of their union, they had a major win! Unanimous passage of H.3908 provides six weeks of paid parental leave to a school employee who gives birth or is "primarily responsible for furnishing the care" of an adopted child. It also provides two weeks of paid leave for a parent who did not give birth, and two weeks of paid leave at the start of a foster placement.

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South Dakota Educators Win State Funding for Public Schools

Educators in South Dakota fought hard for public schools, and they won increased investments and protected against voucher encroachment on school budgets.

After months of advocacy efforts, members of the South Dakota Education Association (SDEA) a seven percent increase to state aid for education. The increase was above and beyond Governor Noem’s proposed five percent increase. This is good news for school districts struggling with teacher shortages and inflation.

As voucher bills continue to pass state houses across the nation, South Dakota educators ensured the legislature bucked this trend. South Dakota’s three voucher bills were defeated in committee. 

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Ensuring Tennessee Educators have a Voice

In two key districts in Tennessee, educators decided to stick with their unions! Both Knox County Education Association and Metropolitan Nashville Education Association won recognition as the sole bargaining agents for educators in their districts, a process that must be repeated every three years under the state's Professional Educators Collaborative Conferencing Act of 2011 (PECCA) laws. This means their unions will be able to continue to center educator voices at the bargaining table.

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Pay Raises for Austin Teachers and SISPs

Educators in Austin, Texas advocated for pay raises to help with skyrocketing costs of living. Their efforts worked! The district approved a  64.5 million compensation package for the upcoming school year. This package includes exciting changes for Austin educators:

• Starting salary for teachers and many SISP job categories was increased by 7% or increase on pay schedule
• ESPs received a $4 increase
• Minimum salary was set at $20/hour
• $7,000 was secured for stipends for special education and bilingual teachers
• Additional salary adjustments—increasing base pay by 20 percent—were established for licensed specialists in school psychology and education diagnosticians

These raises not only help existing educators stay in Austin but will incentivize new educators to work in the district.

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Big Raise for Granite Educator Support Professionals

Educators in Granite, Utah, advocated for fair pay and won a $4-an-hour wage increase for school support staff in the upcoming school year. The members of the Granite Education Association worked with the Granite Education Support Professional Association and together they got the local school board to approve increases to compensation for contract and hourly education support professionals, including bus drivers, custodial staff, paraprofessionals, nutrition services workers, and other essential school staff.

This investment will not only help to retain quality educators, but will also help to recruit new staff, helping address the multitude of unfilled positions in the district.

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Join the Utah Education Association

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Utah educator Burgundy Blomquist has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

Free Meals for All Vermont Students

In Vermont, educators helped secure state funding for another year of free school meals for all students. At the beginning of the COVID pandemic, the federal government eliminated all eligibility requirements for the school meals program. When the federal funds ran out, the Vermont legislature continued the program for another year using state funds.

Educators came together with supporters a second time to advocate for an extension of the program, and despite protests from the governor, the bill passed! Vermont students will have another year of free school meals, and the members of NEA-Vermont will continue to advocate for a permanent program.

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Prince William County Wins a Historic Contract

After securing public sector collective bargaining in Virginia for the first time in more than 45 years, members of the Prince William Education Association (PWEA) won a historic contract for the 11,000 educators, including teachers, psychologists, counselors, custodians, bus drivers, and many other public school employees.

This is a victory not just for the educators, but for the students and communities in Prince William County and all across the State of Virginia. These wins will help ensure that the second largest school division in Virginia (34th in the country) will be able to continue to attract and retain high-quality educators for every single one of the nearly 100,000 students they serve. Some of the highlights include:

• Compensation for additional workload for teachers
• Maintaining affordable health care costs
• Increased compensation for supplemental and extracurricular responsibilities
• Expansion of short-term disability benefits to all employees
• Mechanism to enforce the terms of the agreement
• Protection of employee rights through strong advocacy
• Negotiations of compensation and expanded rights during the term of the agreement

These are monumental wins and the members of PWEA will continue to advocate for the schools that every Virginian student deserves!

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Join the Virginia Education Association

Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Virginia educator Contessa Spinner has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

Investing in Washington Public Schools

Educators came together and helped pass a state budget that invests in public schools, including new funding for special education programs and pay adjustments that do a better job representing the state of the economy.

Education Priorities

• Special education funding: Washington Education Association (WEA) members and fellow public education advocates won $371 million in additional funding for special education supports. A huge, sustained effort contributed to the adoption of the Senate’s proposed level of funding, which was higher than the House’s or Governor’s proposal. Lawmakers increased the funding cap for special education from 13.5 percent to 15 percent of a district’s students to 15 percent. 
• Expanding free K-12 student meals: The state will now provide free meals to 600,000 of our 1,100,000 public school students. In the budget, school meals received an additional $59 million to back fill earlier expansions. 
• Increased recess: Education advocates worked together to win a minimum of 30 minutes of recess for every elementary public school student in Washington.
• Professional development around student behavior interventions: WEA had advocated for increased funding to train educators in options for student de-escalation to reduce the use of isolation and restraint. The new biennial budget includes $2.7 million for professional development prioritized for primary grades with high rates of isolation, restraint, room clears and/or injuries and $2 million for 10 demonstration site grants for districts that want to proactively work to phase out the use of isolation and restraint. 
• Equity in highly capable programs: We passed a bill that requires universal screening for highly capable programs, allowing more access to the programs.

Labor Rights

• Workplace health and safety: We passed a new law that allows L&I to set and enforce ergonomic protection standards to reduce repetitive motion and other injuries at work.
• Union strength: Labor allies worked together to pass a law that requires public entities to share employee contact information with their union. This will improve communication between members and their organization.
• Privileged communication between employees and union reps: Union members now have privileged protections for communications sent about union business, meaning with very few exceptions when a union member shares information, it is not discoverable.

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Educators are stronger when we come together through our union! Washington educator Patti Hoelzle has seen firsthand how she can make a difference through her union. Her story:

Big Salary Gains Under New 22-23 Overseas Schedules

In April 2023, classroom teacher pay in DoDEA’s Overseas schools increased an average of 5.27 percent under the School Year 2022-2023 salary schedules. The increase more than doubles the average raise for teachers last year and is higher than any salary boost teachers have received in the past 25 years.

The new salary figures in the SY 22-23 schedules were retroactive. Thanks to a legal victory by FEA, Overseas employees will receive a retroactive pay adjustment to make sure they are paid the full amount owed to them!

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Looking for the Washington Teacher's Union? Use the button below to join or reach out to [email protected] with questions. 

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Hancock Educators Win Due Process for Policy Changes

It began with the Hancock Board of Education not following proper procedures in an attempt to push through policy changes that would place additional burdens and extra financial strains on Hancock County School employees.

Hancock County Education Association (HCEA) forced the county to stop the fast-tracking of several attendance policy changes—including requiring a doctor’s note, including specific medical information, after five cumulative days missed, or if a sick day is taken around a holiday. Another proposed change would reduce unpaid leave from five days to one day, and disallow unpaid leave for unforeseen circumstances or special opportunities.

This effort to make the county follow proper policy change procedures allowed members and other employees to voice their concerns during the required 30-day public comment period. After receiving comments and letters from faculty senates and individual employees, the board decided to not take up the proposed policy changes.

This effort from HCEA and the members not only defeated a potentially damaging policy change, but also assured correct policy procedures will be followed in the future. This is a great example of how local members and leaders can use their power to secure the rights of employees and the safety of public education.

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Closing the Educator Salary Gap in Wisconsin

A group of ten educators in Verona, Wisconsin, all women, were being paid nearly $20,000 less than less-experienced men doing the same jobs. Their local union, the Verona Area Education Association (VAEA), brought the problem to their attention in 2019—and then, their state union, the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), provided legal support to secure a solution.

This year, the women won a settlement providing $450,000 in back pay, interest, and retirement earnings. The VAEA also made sure this won’t happen to additional Verona women through a new, fair and transparent salary schedule placement system. In addition, the VAEA won adjusted salary schedule placements for 327 additional teachers who had not been credited for their years of experience. This represented a $1.7 million dollar investment in those teachers. Meanwhile, WEAC is advancing a “Fair Pay Now” initiative across the state.

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Union-District Collaboration is Key to Student Success in Green River

The Green River Education Association collaborated with its district to achieve major victories and bargaining wins for public schools and staff. Both administrators and staff know that fair pay and benefits are key to keeping great educators in schools, and they came together to create the working environments educators need to give their students their very best.

Join the Wyoming Education Association