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SANDY — The Canyons Board of Education and a local teachers union have tentatively agreed to terms of a 2011-12 employment contract after the two parties were unable to reach an agreement earlier this summer.
The agreement includes a one-time 3.5 percent bonus spread out over the course of the year for all classroom teachers, and a 2 percent bonus for other district employees.
That is in addition to raises given to teachers who receive additional degrees and certifications. The contract does not, however, include experience-based raises.
"The Canyons Education Association and Canyons Board of Education appreciate the collaboration and work of both parties to reach an agreement, and look forward to its implementation," according to a joint statement.
The CEA declared impasse in June after certain policies the district and union had previously negotiated were taken off the negotiating table by the district. Those policies related to student discipline and district and school advisory councils, which the district said were not terms of employment and should not be a part of the contract.
Ross Rogers, CEA president, said the union agreed to let the board exclusively handle policies related to student discipline. But the agreement put the advisory councils back into negotiated policies so long as the CEA acknowledged the Canyons board has the final say on all policies.
We agreed to get those back into as negotiated policies ... but we did agree that the board owns all the policies and can change them at will.
–- Ross Rogers, CEA president
"We agreed to get those back into as negotiated policies ... but we did agree that the board owns all the policies and can change them at will," Rogers said.
Because both enter the contract in "good faith," Rogers said there's an understanding that the board will seek CEA input on policy changes.
Teacher professional development days were cut in half compared to last year due to "budgetary constraints." Rogers said teachers are happy to get the three-and-a-half days, since all other districts have abandoned paid professional development in recent years.
"We count ourselves really lucky to have them," he said.
Teachers use those days for training and inputting grades at the end of the school year.
Rogers said the process was one of give and take.
"We went in willing to give up things and it got pretty rocky at some points," he said. "We've got a lot more communication out of the district. ... I hope that that stays in effect.
Email:mfarmer@ksl.com
