The Prince George’s County, Maryland, teachers union says it has ratified a new three-year contract with the school district that includes pay raises and increases safety in classrooms.
The ratification vote by the Prince George’s County Educators Association comes two months after the agreement was reached between the union and the second-largest school district in the state.
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“This contract delivers on what our schools need: safer classrooms, fair workloads, and respect for educators. When we support teachers, students thrive. This is a win for all of Prince George’s County,” said Donna Christy, president of the educators association.
According to the union, the new contract improves starting salaries, and includes 9% in cost-of-living pay over the life of the contract.
“With higher prices for food, gas, housing, and other essentials, this contract will help attract and retain experienced educators,” according to a news release announcing the ratification.
The new agreement would minimize paperwork for teachers. Grades would go into one system to streamline the grading process.
New classroom safety measures would require that if a student shows repeated aggressive behavior, a safety plan is put in place right away.
Special educators and counselors with heavy caseloads would be afforded support to ensure that students don’t fall through the cracks.
“This contract is just the beginning of a stronger partnership with PGCEA. We’ve committed to meeting regularly to work collaboratively on the issues that matter most to our educators and students,” said interim superintendent Dr. Shawn Joseph, in a statement. “By raising starting teacher salaries above Maryland’s $60,000 minimum one year ahead of the state mandate, we’re signaling that Prince George’s County is serious about attracting and retaining the best talent for our classrooms.”
The ratified agreement still requires approval from the Board of Education of Prince George’s County School Board. Once ratified, the economic provisions of the contract would be retroactive to July 1.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with the interim superintendent’s statement.
