Reynoldsburg teachers who returned to their classrooms this week were happy to be back with their students but not completely satisfied with the contract agreement that ended a 15-day strike.
Many parents and students showed up early on Monday, Oct. 13, to cheer for teachers as they arrived at school buildings.
At Summit Road Elementary School, teachers gathered arm-in-arm to form a circle in the gymnasium Monday morning, with students seated around them on the floor. They sang a version of We Are the World: "We are the world; we are the teachers ..."
With classes resuming, "We are happy to have the strike behind us, so we can return the focus to where it belongs -- the students," Reynoldsburg Education Association spokeswoman Kathy Evans said.
Evans said the new three-year contract ratified by both the school board and the union on Oct. 9 does not contain the firm class caps teachers wanted, but it is "the best agreement possible with this board of education and current leadership."
Teachers were asking for class caps of 25 at the elementary level and 30 at the junior high and high school levels, claiming class periods had been shortened to accommodate more students and class sizes were at 38 or more for some teachers.
Written into the new contract is the sentence, "Parties agree to aspirational goals of 25 students per class in grades K-4 and 32 students per class in grades 5-8 and 35 in grades 9-12."
Evans said the agreement at least "establishes a framework to address larger class sizes, once those limits are met."
The agreement also gives teachers an additional 30 minutes per day of planning time during the last five workdays of each quarter, along with pay increases amounting to 2 percent the first year, 1.6 percent the second year and 1.9 percent the third year.
Base pay for a teacher with no experience was increased from $38,521 to $39,920. Additional merit bonuses also will be awarded, based on teachers' evaluation ratings under the state's new evaluation system, with those rated "accomplished" receiving a $1,200 bonus.
Teachers will pay 8.97 percent of their health care premiums for family coverage and 11.74 percent for single coverage the first year of the contract; 9.49 percent for family and 10.87 percent for single coverage the second year; and 10 percent for both family and single coverage the third year.
The resolution to the strike came after two lengthy bargaining sessions -- 11 hours on Oct. 7 and eight hours Oct. 8 -- but an issue with teachers' paychecks that arose late last week made it clear the relationship between the REA and the district is still strained.
Teachers had expected to be paid Friday, Oct. 10, for six days they worked prior to the strike, but the district withheld those checks.
Tricia Moore, district director of shared services and partnerships, said because teachers had missed 15 of their 184 work days in a school year, the unpaid days amounted to 8 percent of their salaries, which are divided over 24 paychecks; that equates to 4 percent of their salaries per paycheck.
"It will take the equivalent of two paychecks to cover the lost pay," Moore said.
The REA rejected that explanation and threatened to file a wage theft lawsuit if checks were not received by Tuesday, Oct. 14. They noted that striking teachers had received paychecks two weeks earlier, for days worked prior to the strike and said the six days left should be paid Oct. 10.
The board released a statement the evening of Sunday, Oct. 12, stating the 15 days from the strike would be treated as "a special circumstance."
Teachers were issued full paychecks on Monday, Oct. 13.
However, the board's statement also said teachers' checks will be less than expected for the rest of the year because the district is taking the 15 days of the strike into account, which amounted to 8 percent of their annual pay.
"Despite significant raises in salary awarded in the new contract for years experience, education and cost of living, teachers' paychecks through the rest of the year will be less than they were prior to the strike," the board release said.
Many parents and students showed up early on Monday, Oct. 13, to cheer for teachers as they arrived at school buildings.
At Summit Road Elementary School, teachers gathered arm-in-arm to form a circle in the gymnasium Monday morning, with students seated around them on the floor. They sang a version of We Are the World: "We are the world; we are the teachers ..."
With classes resuming, "We are happy to have the strike behind us, so we can return the focus to where it belongs -- the students," Reynoldsburg Education Association spokeswoman Kathy Evans said.
Evans said the new three-year contract ratified by both the school board and the union on Oct. 9 does not contain the firm class caps teachers wanted, but it is "the best agreement possible with this board of education and current leadership."
Teachers were asking for class caps of 25 at the elementary level and 30 at the junior high and high school levels, claiming class periods had been shortened to accommodate more students and class sizes were at 38 or more for some teachers.
Written into the new contract is the sentence, "Parties agree to aspirational goals of 25 students per class in grades K-4 and 32 students per class in grades 5-8 and 35 in grades 9-12."
Evans said the agreement at least "establishes a framework to address larger class sizes, once those limits are met."
The agreement also gives teachers an additional 30 minutes per day of planning time during the last five workdays of each quarter, along with pay increases amounting to 2 percent the first year, 1.6 percent the second year and 1.9 percent the third year.
Base pay for a teacher with no experience was increased from $38,521 to $39,920. Additional merit bonuses also will be awarded, based on teachers' evaluation ratings under the state's new evaluation system, with those rated "accomplished" receiving a $1,200 bonus.
Teachers will pay 8.97 percent of their health care premiums for family coverage and 11.74 percent for single coverage the first year of the contract; 9.49 percent for family and 10.87 percent for single coverage the second year; and 10 percent for both family and single coverage the third year.
The resolution to the strike came after two lengthy bargaining sessions -- 11 hours on Oct. 7 and eight hours Oct. 8 -- but an issue with teachers' paychecks that arose late last week made it clear the relationship between the REA and the district is still strained.
Teachers had expected to be paid Friday, Oct. 10, for six days they worked prior to the strike, but the district withheld those checks.
Tricia Moore, district director of shared services and partnerships, said because teachers had missed 15 of their 184 work days in a school year, the unpaid days amounted to 8 percent of their salaries, which are divided over 24 paychecks; that equates to 4 percent of their salaries per paycheck.
"It will take the equivalent of two paychecks to cover the lost pay," Moore said.
The REA rejected that explanation and threatened to file a wage theft lawsuit if checks were not received by Tuesday, Oct. 14. They noted that striking teachers had received paychecks two weeks earlier, for days worked prior to the strike and said the six days left should be paid Oct. 10.
The board released a statement the evening of Sunday, Oct. 12, stating the 15 days from the strike would be treated as "a special circumstance."
Teachers were issued full paychecks on Monday, Oct. 13.
However, the board's statement also said teachers' checks will be less than expected for the rest of the year because the district is taking the 15 days of the strike into account, which amounted to 8 percent of their annual pay.
"Despite significant raises in salary awarded in the new contract for years experience, education and cost of living, teachers' paychecks through the rest of the year will be less than they were prior to the strike," the board release said.