ORLANDO, Fla. – Members of the Orange County Classroom Teacher Association continue to fight for better teacher pay and benefits.
The Orange County School Board on Wednesday met with CTA members for a special impasse hearing after the union declared an impasse last month.
Union members argued OCPS would not consider funding for increases by 2%.
The union proposed an average increase of 4.4% claiming the current teacher salary does not allow them to support their families.
The school board ultimately voted unanimously with the district offer on raises, rejecting the higher wage request by the union.
An attorney representing the union also brought up issues like providing breastmilk pumping and storage protection for teachers.
Other issues like paperwork reduction and disputes over educator respect were also brought up to school board members.
OCPS argued the district has always negotiated in good faith and has already agreed with the union on several changes.
The school board — otherwise urging negotiators to continue working on a viable comprehensive parental leave program — ultimately approved the following:
- Teacher salary increases
- 2.25% salary increase for teachers rated Highly Effective (93% of teachers evaluated)
- 1.7% increase for those rated Effective (6.5% of teachers evaluated)
- One-year continuation of retention supplements
- One-year continuation of select supplements
- Allowing three days of district–paid bereavement leave
- Allowing non-classroom teachers to work remotely
- Adding Federal Pump Act language into contract
- Changes to the instructional evaluation article
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