School District, Teacher’s Union Reach Salary Agreement

February 18, 2022

The school district and teacher’s union have reached a wage agreement.

The Escambia County School District (ECSD) and the Escambia Educators Association (EEA) reached the agreement to improve salaries for teachers for the 2021-2022 school year.

After the agreement is ratified by instructional personnel and approved by the school board, teachers should expect to receive the following salary improvements:

Teachers on the Performance Pay Schedule:

  • A $600 increase to all levels. This will raise the new Level 1 salary from $43,500 to $44,100.
  • For those who received an evaluation in the 2020-2021 year, personnel will receive an additional $600 for an “Effective” rating and $800 for a “Highly Effective” rating.

Teachers on a Grandfather Pay Schedule:

  • Longevity supplement of $1,000 to all personnel on this schedule that received at least an “Effective” rating in the ‘20-21 school year.
  • A performance payment of $200 for an “Effective” rating and $400 for “Highly Effective” in the 2020-2021 school year.

Under this agreement, a “highly effective” teacher will receive a $1,400 raise regardless of their salary schedule.

The ECSD Instructional unit is currently split into two salary groups as per direction by Florida Legislature. There are approximately 1500 teachers on the “Performance Pay” schedule and approximately 910 teachers on the “Grandfather” salary schedule. Any personnel hired after 2014 is automatically placed on the Performance Pay schedule. Teachers on the Grandfather salary schedule have the freedom to move to the Performance Pay schedule if they so choose.

To further reward teachers with high qualifications, the agreement also includes:

An additional $300 supplement to any instructor with a Reading Endorsement or Master’s in Reading

A general 10% improvement to the Advanced Degree instructional supplement schedule

To teachers that have lost planning time due to a lack of substitute teachers, the agreement includes a one-time payment of $275 to all instructional personnel that were employed on or before January 3, 2022, and maintain continuous employment through the last day of school. This class coverage payment is expected to be distributed at the end of the school year.

Once ratified and approved by the school board, the salary schedules will be retroactive to July 1, 2021, for all employees and retirees.

Comments

10 Responses to “School District, Teacher’s Union Reach Salary Agreement”

  1. C'mon, man on February 20th, 2022 7:19 pm

    KP – ESP = Education Support Personnel (or something really close to that)

  2. K P on February 20th, 2022 9:22 am

    Silence Do Good.
    What is ESP ?

  3. Bob on February 19th, 2022 5:28 pm

    @Lou

    The average starting pay for a teacher in Escambia County is $42k. That isn’t even enough to rent a 1BR apartment.

    Teachers are working longer hours with larger classes for less pay (after inflation) than they were a couple years ago. This isn’t what they signed up for and they are understandably quitting in droves.

    I do with you though. Nurses absolutely deserve to be paid a living wage too.

  4. Lou on February 18th, 2022 8:18 pm

    Good for the teachers. I read all the whining….never enough! Think of the Nurses who go into Covid units…there’s no extra pay, no bonus, it’s their jobs.

  5. retired on February 18th, 2022 5:20 pm

    @ Richard

    the ECSO STARTS AROUND 41,000.00

  6. Richard on February 18th, 2022 12:17 pm

    Just curious. What is the starting salaries of police ,firefighters , paramedics, highway patrolman.

  7. Anne on February 18th, 2022 11:36 am

    @ Tommy G
    Fla Legislature a couple years after start of Lottery began started cutting back on budgets for school districts. This continued for years.
    Cutbacks were in areas like Capitol Outlay, used to build schoolhouses, maintenance, new busses, etc. Legislature determined funds from Lottery were sufficient to cover those costs BUT it was/is Not enough. Thus the absolute need for Local Option Sales Tax which WE vote on in each county. Thankfully, this has passed in Escambia Co and is used appropriately.
    Original Intent of Lottery money was to ENHANCE Educational programs.
    Unfortunately, the Legislature has shifted those funds to other areas with lower funding.
    Side note the School Districts in Florida pay, just like us Citizens, for all Electricity-Natural Gas, Water & Sewage, Fuel for All School District Vehicles, etc, etc.
    Lots goes into operating OUR schools and it’s not cheap.

  8. Derek on February 18th, 2022 10:41 am

    All the millions of dollars in covid money and the teachers get what amounts to a 2.2% increase in pay???? This is disgusting when millions of dollars were allocated for teachers that worked through the pandemic, many got sick and there were several that died from covid infections. Many of the teachers did double work, classroom and also remote learning assignments…. This is how they are rewarded when several counties used covid funds to boost salaries as much as 9.5% and raises as much as $3500-$5000 dollars depending on time in grade!

    The message is clear DO NOT go to college 4-6 years to work as a teacher….you are not appreciated by the administration!!!

  9. Silence Do Good on February 18th, 2022 7:45 am

    I’m curious if the district will continue to hold the teacher’s retro checks like they are doing with all the ESP staff…ESP’s contract was ratified in November and not a sole has seen a retro check yet the district is still earning interest off of that money.

  10. Tommy G on February 18th, 2022 3:34 am

    Not very impressive considering what teachers have to deal with. It appears it’s a merit increase and not a cost of living increase. Where does the lottery money go again?