by Penny Chambers

     The long-negotiated Eatonville teacher’s contract was signed following a meeting between the school district and the EEA (Eatonville Education Assoc.) last Tuesday morning, Nov. 12.  “It was settled by a good margin,” said Rhoda Papajohn, EEA co-president. She added, “We will get the flow-through dollars [a 3.6% pay increase allocated by the state] and the district is working hard to include that money in teachers’ paychecks at the end of this month.” The flow-through funds will be paid retroactively from the beginning of September.

     The new contract will extend for two years, September 1, 2002 through August 31, 2004. It awards the district’s 123 teachers and all other certificated employees, called FTE’s (Full Time Equivalent employees) $30 per month per employee, or $43,000 collectively per year, to assist with increasing health care costs. The money will be pooled and divided amongst the FTE’s who had asked the district for help with rising out of pocket expenses already being paid by the teachers.

     The EEA negotiated for one paid LID (Learning Improvement Day), as one of the three LID’s granted to teachers was taken away by the state legislature in school year 2002/2203. Funds to pay for giving the teachers that day back will come from I-728 (gambling and lottery revenues). (During the August 12 school board meeting, Superintendent Ray Arment stated that I-728 funds were not coming through from the state as projected, as the state reduced basic education funds to offset I-728 funding, rather than I-728 funds being given in addition to basic funding.  He further urged the public to contact their local representatives regarding I-728 funding.)

     Teachers currently are allowed two optional paid days called “TRI (Time, Responsibility, Incentive) days. This is extra time spent above and beyond the 7.5-hour workday for which teachers are paid, put in for calling parents, conferences, preparing lessons and newsletters etc. Formerly teachers had to accumulate this time in half-day increments, with their principal’s approval. Under the terms of the new contract this time can be accumulated in 15-minute increments.

     Two committees were formed, one to review and clarify the language in the teacher’s contract which has changed with additions and deletions since 1979. The second committee will review special education issues so the EEA will be better prepared when bringing this topic to the bargaining table during future negotiations, which the EEA hopes to begin in Jan. 2004.

"Pity the poor kids who grow up in a big city. They miss the little things that made growing up in a small town, ah, so wonderful."
~Tom Morrow