District 214, teachers reach new 5-year contract
Northwest Suburban High School District 214 and its 850 teachers and counselors reached an agreement this week on a new five-year contract.
More than 85 percent of Education Association members voted to approve the contract on Tuesday and the District 214 school board unanimously approved the agreement on Thursday night.
Association members will get a base salary increase of 1 percent in the first year and three-quarters of the Consumer Price Index in the remaining four years, according to a news release.
They will receive additional varying compensation based on years of experience and advances in their education, including master's and doctorate degrees.
The new contract begins on May 26 and runs through June 30, 2019.
“We are committed to a contract that allows us to focus on the task at hand, which is continuing to deliver education to all students at a level that becomes a national model,” said Jim Arey, Education Association president. “We all have been partners in this process, and have acknowledged we are doing well, but can be even better.”
“We spent a lot of time discussing the need to be consistently collaborative, and this contract reflects that,” added Kurt Laakso, associate superintendent for human resources. “There is an understanding among our teachers and administration that we need to continue to work together in the face of decreased state and federal funding and in a time of increased expectations to innovate in a digital age.”
The contract includes several provisions to concentrate on the district's increasing digital focus.
This includes support for additional workshops focused on digital education and innovation; more professional development; and an extra student nonattendance day annually to provide time to focus on the digital conversion, according to a news release.
Other changes include a new option to enroll in a high-deductible health care plan requiring full-price payments for prescription drugs and medical treatment until the deductible is met.
Another priority of the contract is “effective, consistent special education instruction,” according to the release.
“We believe this contract is fiscally responsible while also supporting our educators and their ongoing need for collaboration,” said Jim Perkins, the Board of Education's representative on the negotiating team.
“Our staff is working hard to transform learning and become innovative instructional leaders. This reinforces their ability to deliver a relevant, rigorous education while being respectful of our community's financial reality.”