Teachers and School Board reach tentative contract agreement
The United Teachers of Wichita and the Wichita Board of Education are pleased to announce a tentative one-year agreement on the teachers’ contract for the 2012-2013 school year. The value of the total compensation package is 4.04 percent. Highlights of the tentative agreement include: 

• 1 percent increase to the salary schedule;
• One step on the salary schedule for years of experience (“Steps”);
• Adjustment on the salary schedule based on additional education (“Tracks”);
• Teachers will move to the appropriate place on the longevity schedule, but will not receive back pay;
• Professional dress code;
• No changes to the employee health plan;
• Converting a teacher in-service day to a classroom work day during teacher report week in August;
• Early dismissal for teachers on end-of-semester and end-of-year grading dates if grades are submitted by noon on those days; and
• Two separate study committees comprised of administrators and teachers, one to focus on professional development, and one to focus on evaluations in light of the recently-announced NCLB waiver for Kansas.
  

“We value the work of our teachers and what they do to educate and support 50,000 students in the Wichita Public Schools,” said Board of Education President Lynn Rogers. “We’ve said since January that it was vitally important this year to recognize this value through increased compensation since employee salaries have been frozen for four years. The Board is pleased that we’ve reached a tentative agreement with teachers prior to the beginning of the school year.”

“Under the circumstances, this is a good agreement,” said Randy Mousley, UTW President. “UTW recognizes these are difficult times. Teachers have made great sacrifices the last four years. Wichita teachers do an outstanding job, and UTW will continue to fight for them.”

Superintendent John Allison, BOE President Rogers and UTW President Mousley announced the tentative agreement on July 24. Click here to watch the announcement.

The ratification of the contract by teachers will begin after teachers return to work in August.  The Board of Education will ratify afterwards. United Teachers of Wichita represent nearly 4,000 teachers in the Wichita Public Schools.