Citrus County Education Association

Red For Ed Wednesdays

Every Wednesday, CCEA joins teachers across the state of Florida in a visible show of support for our neighborhood public schools. We wear RED for Public Ed because we know all too well the compromises that have to be made --and the impact of those compromises on our students-- when funding for our schools is inadequate or bogged down in mandates. We wear red to call attention to the solvable problems in education. Recruiting and Retaining teachers can't be solved with flawed accountability systems. By all metrics, Florida schools aren't failing--FUNDING is FAILING Florida's schools!

Fund Our Future, Citrus

As a statewide teacher shortage grows, our professional association is advocating for meaningful changes in state and local policies that directly impact our classrooms. Fund Our Future is an ongoing campaign to recruit and retain teachers, promote student success, and invest in our neighborhood public schools. Every student deserves to have a highly-qualified teacher and to learn in schools that are fully staffed with the best education support professionals. Our students need opportunities to learn and grow to their greatest potential, yet flawed systems of accountability lead to teaching to the test. Together, we are speaking up and speaking out for our neighborhood public schools -- and the students educated in them!

From Chalkboards to AI: A Teacher’s 65-Year Journey

On her very first day of student teaching at Linden Avenue Middle School in Red Hook, N.Y., Martha Strever pushed, pulled and pounded on the school’s door, which was locked. No one came. Where was everybody? It was, after all, the first day of school.

It turned out everybody was exactly where they were supposed to be: inside, having entered through the school’s front entrance. Strever had been knocking on a side door. Flustered but undeterred, she not only found her way inside, she also found her life’s calling.

Photo credit: SDI Productions / E+ / Getty Images

Paraprofessionals and school-related personnel are often overlooked because of their support roles. They are the last ones hired and often the first ones fired when budgets get tight. This certainly seems true right now as the Trump administration withholds nearly $7 billion in education funds, effective July 1, which has hamstrung summer school programs, hindered English language support, halted professional development this summer, and left before- and after-school programs in limbo for the coming school year.

MOU - Temporary Waiver of Instructional Transfer Language (7/28/25)

MOU - Limited Health Insurance Premium Discount (10/20/25)

TA #32 - 2025-2026 Economic Settlement Agreement

INSTRUCTIONAL

TA #1 - Instructional_Article I_Parties to the Agreement

TA #3 - Instructional_Article II_Recognition

TA #5 - Instructional_Articles III-V_Management Rights_Negotiations Procedure_Uniterrupted Service

TA #7 - Instructional_Article IX_Grievance Procedure

TA #9 - Instructional_Appendix A_Salary Placement Schedule

TA #10 - Instructional_Appendix B_Supplemental Pay

TA #11 - Instructional_Appendix C_Differentiated Pay

TA #12 - Instructional_Appendix D_Citrus eSchool

TA #13 - Instructional_ Article XIV_Ratification of Agreement

TA #15 - Instructional_Article XIII_Duration of Agreement

TA #17 - Instructional_Article XII_Effect of Agreement

TA #19 - Instructional_Article X_Leave

TA #21 - Instructional_Article VI_Association Rights

TA #27 - Instructional_Article VII_Teacher Rights

TA #29 - Instructional_Article VIII_Teaching Conditions

TA #31 - Instructional_Article XI_Compensation and Insurance

SUPPORT

TA #2 - Support_Article I_Parties to the Agreement

TA #4 - Support_Article II_Recognition

TA #6 - Support_Articles III-V_Management Rights_Negotiations Procedure_Uninterrupted Service

TA #8 - Support_Article X_Grievance Procedure

TA # 14 - Support_Article XVII_Ratification of Agreement

TA #16 - Support_Article XVI_Duration of Agreement

TA #18 - Support_Article XV_Effect of Agreement

TA #20 - Support_Article XI_Leave

TA #22 - Support_Article VI_Association Rights

TA #23 - Support_Article IX_Work Year_Work Week_Workday

TA #24 - Support_Article XII_Sick Leave Bank

TA #25 - Support_Article XIII_Retraining

TA #26 - Support_Article VII_Support Personnel Rights

TA #28 - Support_Article VIII_Working Conditions

TA #30 - Support_Article XIV_Compensation and Insurance

*Tentative Agreements (TAs) must be ratified by both the bargaining unit and the school board to be implemented.

CCEA Members Rally Around Impasse

CCEA members from across the District gathered at the District Office to raise their Teacher Voices (and Support Staff Voices, too).

INVERNESS, FL - October 14, 2025 In response to the District's unexpected declaration of impasse amid full-book contract negotiations, teachers and classified support staff rallied at the District Office ahead of the October School Board meeting. Bringing a unified message that "Impasse is NOT Collaboration," teachers and support together called for the Board to send the District team back to the bargaining table for good faith negotiations. Signs and a swath of red lined the sidewalk outside of the main office building, signaling to the broader community that these negotiations impact everyone.

'It should matter to parents and the average Citrus County resident that fifty years of collaborative contract negotiations have broken down so abruptly. The District's ability to attract and retain qualified educators largely hinges on providing staff fair, livable wages and working conditions.'

After sign-waving, the crowd found their way inside for public comment. Speakers shared stories of personal impact and asked the Board directly to demonstrate a clear example of dignity and respect for the support staff who provide such vital contributions to our schools by signing off on an additional paid holiday for those who work contracts less than 251 days. Surrounding Districts provide at least five (5) paid holidays for non-year-round employees, while Citrus currently only offers a single holiday. Teachers also spoke to the need for wage increases that reflect the cost of living -- noting that the year-over-year change in the consumer pricing index is above three percent (3%).

The Board carefully responded to the showing with words of encouragement and support--comments received by the crowd with applause.

The parties return to contract negotiations on October 16th, having scheduled a full-day session to address open contract articles as well as economics.

CCSD Declares Impasse

October 7, 2025-- INVERNESS, FL

This afternoon CCSD declared impasse in our ongoing contract negotiations. Your CCEA bargaining team is somewhat dismayed, but not necessarily surprised, by what seems a premature declaration.

The parties have been engaged in good faith bargaining and progress is being made. Both Instructional and Support contracts are in full-book review and, over the course of multiple sessions, the parties have reached tentative agreement on several articles for each. Despite collaborative progress-- perhaps owing to pressure from the FLDOE-- the Superintendent's representative issued the declaration related specifically to the Teacher Salary Increase Allocation--a portion of funds earmarked by the state for instructional compensation.

A declaration of impasse for only a portion of items on the table may not be allowable under Florida statute, however in any impasse situation, the parties may continue negotiations while exploring other possible paths to resolution. CCEA remains committed to bargaining in good faith and will continue to meet with the District in negotiations to ensure that the items which have been identified as priorities for the employees CCEA represents at the table will be addressed.

Learn more about the progress of 2025 full-book negotiations on our Collaborative Bargaining page.

Fair Contracts Matter!

For the past few bargaining cycles, CCEA has been advocating for a fair contract for our non-year-round Support staff (often referred to as non-251 staff). A key sticking point for our members has been the inequity that exists in the number of paid holidays offered in contract for employees who work between 181 and 217 days each year -- approximately 444 individuals in the CCEA Support unit.

Currently the contract allows for only one (1) paid holiday for these folks, compared with year-round staff who work 251 days and receive six (6) paid holidays. Looking at paid holidays as a proportion of contracted workdays: 2.39% of a year-round employee's contract is paid holidays, while .46% of a 217-day employee's contract is paid holiday. This inequity means that year-round staff benefit disproportionately in annual compensation as well as in contributions toward retirement (FRS). Not only are these non-251 employees are already among the lowest paid employees in the District, they benefit less in retirement.

If adjusted for true fairness and equity, these employees would be receiving four (4) paid holidays. CCEA is advocating that one added paid holiday for these employees is not only affordable and beneficial, it is fair and just.

One final bit of rationale for increasing the paid holidays for non-year-round Support: CITRUS COUNTY is the only district in the West -Central region that doesn't offer AT LEAST five (5) paid holidays to all Support staff. Want to show respect for the folks who keep the District going? Offer a competitive contract!