Miami-Dade County Public Schools and the United Teachers of Dade (UTD) reached a landmark successor contract that will raise beginning teachers' salaries to $40,000 during the 2008-2009 school year, as well as provide substantial increases for current teachers.  Office personnel and paraprofessionals will also benefit under the proposed contract.

If you want to know what your salary will be under the successor contract, click on the salary finder.

"This agreement reflects our continued commitment to children, teachers, and parents," said Superintendent Rudolph F. Crew.  "By joining hands with the Union and the Legislature we will ensure that teachers will come to Miami and be compensated competitively for their continued and long-term service to the children in this district.  We are pleased to offer them a salary and benefits package that not only matches but surpasses those in surrounding areas."

The school district and the community will benefit from the agreement because of the ability to attract and retain quality staff.

As part of the package, teachers and other school employees will be able to maintain 100 percent employer-funded health insurance and the cost of prescription drugs and dependent care will actually decrease.

Highlights of the new contract include:

• Parent teacher conferences ­ parents may schedule a conference with their child¹s teacher beginning in the spring semester.
• Teachers¹ salary and benefits package will immediately meet or exceed that of neighboring Broward County.
• Teachers will get step raises automatically over three years instead of bargaining one year at
  a time, and will be able to move up the scale faster.
• All UTD bargaining unit employees will continue to enjoy 100 percent employer-funded POS
  health insurance.
• All dependent health insurance costs will either be lowered or remain the same.

Major Highlights of the successor contract agreement:

• Provides additional opportunities for parents and teachers to conference during one early
  release day afternoon in the Fall and one evening in the Spring.
• Provides for implementation of the Secondary School Reform Initiative (SSRI) in 11 high
  schools during 2006-2007, allows for additional high schools to be part of SSRI in year two,
  2007-2008, by way of  faculty voting, and specifies that all high schools will participate when
  80% of all high schools elect to implement the SSRI.
• Provides for implementation of a new pilot evaluation system, Instructional Performance Evaluation and Growth System (IPEGS), at 32 schools during 2006-2007, adding more
  schools to the pilot during 2007-2008, followed by an assessment by the Joint Evaluation Committee, which will make recommendations for amending and/or modifying IPEGS before
  full implementation. 
• Provides for expanding professional development for teachers by increasing the number of planning and preparation days for this purpose from one to two effective in the 2007-2008
  school year and identifying one early Wednesday dismissal per month for professional
  development in elementary schools;
• Provides for stabilizing school faculty for the school year by:
  • permitting transfers only after the end of the school year, but allows teachers to apply
    for transfers during the school year and be selected for open positions that will be held
    for them for the next school year;
  • stipulating that personal leave requests must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the
    start of the subsequent school year; and
  • specifying that personal leaves must start before the first optional reporting date for instructional personnel; and
• Effective 2007-2008 school year, increases teachers' credential pay to $3,100 for a Masters degree, to $5,150 for a Specialist degree, and to $7,200 for a Doctorate.
• Effective 2007-2008 school year, increases supplements and pay for temporary instructors
  and part time hourly teachers by 3%.
• Provides a 2007 health insurance package that offers the current POS, three HMO plans, a
  Child-Only option, and a $100-a-month Opt-Out Plan.

The successor contract for 2006-2009 was ratified by the bargaining unit on November 30th and the School Board on December 5th.