Detailed Analysis of Charlotte's Teacher Contract

The following is a detailed analysis of the current Charlotte Public Schools union contract that covers teachers as well as a few other employee groups. The district employs about 200 teachers and enrolls 3,000 students. Of its $25 million operating budget, about 66 percent goes toward paying employees working under this contract.

Salary Schedule

• Base salaries are determined strictly by "steps," which use a matrix of years experience and graduate credit hours and degrees.
• There are 11 "steps" on the schedule, meaning teachers get automatic 4 to 10 percent pay raises for their first 10 years in the district.
• Teachers with between 12 and 18 years of experience get 2.5 or 3 percent more than the last "step" on the salary schedule (depending on a range of qualifications)
• From years 19 to 29, teachers are paid between 5 and 8 percent more than the last "step."
• 59 percent of teachers have graduate degrees and 76 percent have more than 5 years experience, meaning the vast majority of teachers' base salary is between $44,152 and $61,885.
• The Michigan Department of Education reported the average teacher salary in Charlotte in 2008-09 was $52,408.

Fringe Benefits

• The health insurance plan most teachers have costs $14,260 (family coverage).
• Districts maximum contribution to premium $14,021, so most teachers contribute about $20 per month for the cost of their health insurance premium.
• Teachers may contribute difference of premium to into a flex benefits account.
• The average family premium for a health plan in Michigan cost $13,160 in 2009, with employees contributing 21 percent ($2,800) of those costs.
• The most popular plan includes no annual deductibles, no office co-pays and a $10/$20 RX plan.
• Each teacher who does not enroll in a medical insurance plan gets a maximum of $300 per month.
  • If more than 35 people sign up: $350/month
  • If more than 40 sign up: $450/month
  • If more than 45 sign up: $500/month
• The district also provides at no cost to teachers dental, vision, life ($35,000) and long-term disability insurance.

Pension and Retirement Benefits

• Every teacher participates in the state-run Michigan Public School Employee Retirement System, a defined-benefit lifetime pension system
• Pension calculation: highest 3-year average compensation X 1.5 percent X years of service
• After 55, subsidized medical, dental and vision insurance for life (employees never contribute more than 18 percent of premiums)
• Annual pension based on 30 years experience in Charlotte with base salary of $61,855 (final M.A. step): $27,848 (for most retirees, this amount increases by 3 percent every year)
• Teachers that put in their resignation by January 15 receive an additional $3,000.

Bonus Pay for Additional Duties or Certification

• $18.53 per hour for attendance at any parent or student activity or educational or civic function after the regular school day.
• Department Chair: $1,323
• Summer School Instructor: $19.28/hr.
• Driver Ed Instructor: $21.10/hr.
• Tuition reimbursement: $75 per credit hour
• Mentoring new teachers:
  • Years 1 and 2: 1 percent of salary for one mentee (0.75 percent for each additional mentee)
  • Year 3: 0.75 percent of salary for one mentee (0.5 percent for each additional mentee)

Work Schedule/Environment

• Contractual year: 177 days
  • 172 student instruction days (K-8 and 11th grades)
  • 171 student instruction days ( 9, 10 and 12th grades)
• Work day: 7 hours, 15 minutes
• Total work year: 1,230 hours
• National average for all occupations: 1,792 hours
• Duty free lunch period: 35 minutes.
• Weekly teaching loads:
  • High school: 1,425 minutes per week
  • Middle school: 1,480 minutes per week
• Preparation time:
  • Elementary: 120 minutes per week.
• Maximum class size: 25-32, depending on grade and class type.
  • Paraprofessional shall be assigned to overloaded class rooms.
• "Quality Block Time" meetings are to be held every Wednesday.
  • Dismissal times are 25 minutes earlier for high school and 35 minutes earlier for middle school
  • 85 minutes maximum
  • 8 meetings will be used for staff meetings
  • 9 meetings for union business
  • 9 meetings for teacher planning time
  • 9 meetings for professional development

Leave Time/Sick Days

• Sick leave: 10 days.
  • Maximum accumulation: 110 days
  • Use of sick days for illness of immediate family: 10 days
• Bereavement: 5 days
• Personal leave: 2 days
  • Teachers are paid 75 percent of substitute teacher per diem stipend for each unused personal day at the end of each year.
• Union leave: 3 days
  • President of union: 15 days.
• Medical arrangements for family member: 2 days.
• Sabbatical leave:
  • 1 full year
  • Teachers paid half current salary with full benefits.
• Unpaid leave:
  • Personal illness: 1 year
  • Maternity: 1 year
  • Study: 1 year
  • Peace Corps: 2 years
  • Child care: 1 year
  • Administrative internship within the district: 1 year (fringe benefits paid)
  • Any other purpose approved by district: 1 year

Extra Curricular Activities Compensation (depends on years of experience)