News

Settlement Reached!

Following several weeks of ongoing bargaining discussion, CCEA and CCSD have reached a tentative agreement on the 2020-21 Economic package. The settlement utilizes the state’s Teacher Salary Allocation funds ($2.4million) along with additional Board funds to achieve a $46,000 minimum salary for all instructional staff, while ensuring that every instructional employee receives AT LEAST a $1,500 improvement. CCEA Support will receive .46/hour in addition to the annual step increase which has already been applied. All improvements will be retroactive to July 1st.

The volunteer members of CCEA’s

BARGAINED AGREEMENTS

Working Conditions MOU• 9/17/2020

Establishes the expectations for safe and sanitary working conditions as schools reopen

Additional Financial Considerations MOU• 9/17/2020

Waives pay for performance for 2020; offers $1.50/hr supplement for Support providing instructional coverage; establishes criteria for athletic supplements in case of shortened season

2021 Health Insurance Board Match • 10/14/2020

Board to contribute an additional $10/month to cover all premium increases

2020-21 Economic Settlement • 10/29/2020

Through a combination of categorical funds from the state (Teacher Salary Increase Allocation) and additional Board funds, instructional salaries will be improved to ensure a $46,000 minimum salary with all instructional staff guaranteed to receive at least a $1500 increase; CCEA Support will receive 46cents/hr on their regular hourly rate in addition to the step already received; all raises will be retroactive to July 1, 2020.

ITEMS ON THE TABLE

Citrus Virtual Program MOU

Establishing placement in CVP positions; creating pay for additional period of instruction; outlining expectations for communication and grading turn around; limiting the number of course preps/teacher; establishing who evaluates CVP teachers

Economics

This year’s economic discussion has centered heavily on the TSA. The funds provided by the state are limited and must be expended in accordance with statute to improve minimum pay for full-time classroom teachers. Additional dollars kicked in by the Board can be bargained much more flexibly. In early September, CCEA and District team leaders met to discuss financials informally and to review statutory requirements, as well as to identify concerns associated with the mandates: salary compression, achieving competitive starting salary level, and ensuring raises are distributed as equitably as possible.

Get the Background on the Teacher Salary Allocation (TSA)

Proposal History

9/21/20

CCEA opens TSA discussion suggesting a ‘banded’ approach to distribution of the funds to minimize compression created in raising minimum salaries; the District’s position is that ‘banding’ is not allowable by statute
District’s opening proposal brought ONLY TSA funds to the table; would create a $43,455 minimum salary and a 1.1% increase for all others
CCEA requested additional district dollars ($1.5million) to ensure a minimum $1650 adjustment for all instructional

9/22/20

District’s first counter placed additional district dollars ($2.4million) to further increase the minimum salary to $46,000 and providing a $1375 guarantee for all instructional

9/24/20

CCEA countered with a redistribution of the district’s dollars ($2.4million) to achieve a minimum salary of $44,850 while providing a guaranteed improvement ranging from $1395 to $1895, based on years of service
District’s second counter further increased additional district dollars ($2.47million) to provide a $46,000 minimum salary with a guarantee of $1500 for all instructional
CCEA’s follow up request met the Board’s request for a $46,000 minimum while pushing for an $1800 guarantee

10/6/20

District did not return to the table with a response

10/14/20

District responded to CCEA’s proposal with $46,000 minimum and $1500 guarantee, plus $10 increase in Board insurance match to cover premium increases
CCEA opened Support economics with a proposal to increase all Support Staff (Classified & Professional Technical) base hourly rates by $1 –a total cost of $921,131

10/22/20

District responded with no further improvements; revised proposal establishes $46,000 minimum for instructional, provides $875 for all other instructional, and places $850,000 into a single pot to divided between the instructional and support units

10/26/20

CCEA countered with a request for an added $82,000 to ensure Support would reach 50cents/hr; seeks to add language that would clarify improvments to be retroactive and further commitment to collaboratively revise the instructional placement schedule to ensure new hires with experience would not surpass current employees with equal years of experience
District agreed to take the propsal to the Board for review

10/29/20

Board counter held firm at $850,000 to be divided between units, but added language on retroactive increases and placement schedule adjustment
CCEA and CCSD reach final economic settlement

The Teacher Salary Allocation: What You Should Know

As is true of every year's bargaining efforts, CCEA is dedicated to ensuring all educators in Citrus Schools receive substantive and equitable pay raises. Each year seems to present a different set of challenges--performance pay requirements, Best & Brightest bonuses, etc--and this year is no exception.

The Teacher Salary Increase Allocation (TSA for short) is the latest iteration of legislatively mandated contraints on the bargaining of teacher salaries. The TSA funds are provided in the state budget for the purpose of increasing the minimum base salary for full-time classroom teachers as

INVERNESS, FL - August 3, 2020

In an effort to educate members and friends of public education on the candidate choices in upcoming local elections, Citrus County Education Association is launching a series of town hall webinars. Live streamed on Facebook Live, the town halls will be organized as a series of live interviews with candidates running for School Board, Superintendent of Schools, Supervisor of Elections, County Commission, and Citrus County Sheriff.

All candidates for these local offices were extended invitations to participate, and CCEA is pleased that so many have chosen to attend

CCEA Kicks Off Online Summer PD Series

PD JUST FOR US!

CCEA is proud to extend an invitation

to our summer PD for personal and

professional enrichment. We believe

that in challenging times, our

professional networks become a vital

resource.

This learning series, developed and

presented by your CCEA colleagues

and Association Partners, seeks to

offer meaningful, convenient, and

ongoing learning opportunities

throughout the summer months.

2020_ccea_member_pd.pdf

Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week 2020

teacherappreciationweek2020.pdf

FEA Responds to Governor's Pay Announcement

FEA: Tell us more about educator pay and education funding

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Education Association (FEA) was encouraged to hear Gov. Ron DeSantis make clear that teacher pay matters to his administration on Monday. The governor’s announcement in Clay County was a starting point in addressing the needs of our students.

“We thank the governor for opening a dialogue on salaries and for acknowledging that our teachers are woefully underpaid,” said FEA President Fedrick Ingram. “Raising minimum starting pay is a beginning.

We still hope to hear about what Gov. DeSantis plans to do to retain

Governor Pitches $47,500 Minimum for Teacher Pay

October 7, 2019 - Governor Desantis Pitches Increase to Teacher Pay - From a schedule press conference in Jacksonville, the Governor released a plan to raise the minimum teacher salary in the state of Florida to $47,500 – impacting a little more than half of all of teachers in the state. Paired with the introduction of legislation by Sen. Rob Bradley to repeal the flawed Best and Brightest bonus scheme, the governor's announcement could be seen as evidence that the voices of FEA members and public education advocates are actually being heard.

While the plan is incomplete, that there is a

September 18, 2019 - FEA's second article in their series exposing how Florida policies are undermining student success focuses on the scam that is VAM. Since its introduction into teacher evaluation processes, educators across the nation have protested the use of this flawed measure to identify ineffective teachers and brand schools as 'failing'. Recently, the Florida Legislature paved the way for school districts to move teacher evaluation models away from their reliance on VAM as the measure of student performance, but unfortunately it remains an instrument of disruption for the state.

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