Oakland teachers reach tentative agreement for 'incredible' contract - San Jose Mercury News

Oakland teachers reach tentative agreement for 'incredible' contract - San Jose Mercury News:

Oakland teachers reach tentative agreement for 'incredible' contract

OAKLAND -- The city's 2,400 public school teachers reached a tentative three-year contract agreement with the school district Wednesday night that gives them the largest raise in more than 10 years and establishes a "new paradigm" for calculating salaries going forward, officials said Thursday.

The complicated formula gives teachers a base increase of 8 percent in salary plus a cut of additional state money coming to the district after July 1.

The base pay raise is broken down into a 2 percent raise retroactive to July 1, 2014, a 1 percent raise retroactive to Feb. 1 of this year, a 2.5 percent raise starting on the last day of school this year and a 2.5 percent raise starting Jan. 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017.

"On top of that, there is a great likelihood of additional one-time money for this school year and then ongoing salary increases and one-time moneys for the '15-'16 school year," said Trish Gorham, Oakland Education Association president.

The unknown additions on top of the 8 percent base raise will be determined when the state budget is finalized and the school district figures out how much extra money it will receive July 1, she said.

"What I think is pretty incredible about this contract is the district has agreed that we get new money for every unrestricted dollar that comes in from the state," Gorham said.

During negotiations Oakland teachers have complained they are the lowest paid in Alameda County. The current average salary without benefits in the Oakland school district is $55,000 a year. The closest to that is the Albany school district at $67,193 a year and the top is Pleasanton where the average salary is $85,595 a year.

Oakland's teachers union will vote on the tentative agreement May 27.

An added feature of the salary negotiations, Gorham said, is the establishment of a "new paradigm" in calculating teachers' salaries. Currently, teachers receive about 36 percent of the school district budget. Now teachers will get 39 percent, she said.

In previous negotiating rounds, the school district was offering teachers a 10 percent raise over three years.

"Now with the governor's budget coming in with millions more, it's entirely possible our raise will be significantly in excess over that," Gorham said.

Oakland schools Superintendent Antwan Wilson said in a statement he hopes the new contract will establish the school district as the "premier education employer in the Bay Area."

"Oakland public school teachers and all the other OEA unit members are poised to receive the largest increase in pay in over a decade," Wilson said. "This is in addition to significant improvements in working conditions through lower class sizes and many other tangible supports. As a former principal and teacher whose life was also shaped by great educators, I know how critical a good teacher can be."

In addition to the pay raise, the tentative agreement includes a 24-to-1 class size average in transitional kindergarten through third grade. Starting in 2016 there will be class size limits of 24 in transitional kindergarten and kindergarten; a class size limit of 27 in first through third grades and a limit of 30 in fourth and fifth grades.

The contract establishes a ratio of 600 students to 1 counselor for grades six through 12.

Contact reporter Doug Oakley at 925-234-1699. Follow him on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/douglasoakley Oakland teachers reach tentative agreement for 'incredible' contract - San Jose Mercury News: