TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Negotiations are set to take place between Leon County Schools and the Leon Classroom Teachers Association over teacher salary increases.
- That's after the District was called out by Florida's Education Commissioner for the slow rollout of state funds allocated for salary increases.
- The District and the union said the reason for the holdup is the union's bargaining process as they look to increase teacher salaries further.
- Watch the video to hear from the District and the Leon Classroom Teachers Association.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Negotiations will take place between Leon County Schools and Leon Classroom Teachers Association over teacher salary increases. That's after the District was criticized by the State's top education leader over the slow rollout of state funds allocated for these increases.
Florida's Commissioner of Education, Anastasios Kamoutsas, sent a letter to Leon County Schools Board Chair Laurie Lawson Cox that reads in part:
"I have serious concerns regarding Superintendent Rocky Hanna's handling of teacher compensation through the teacher salary increase allocation."
The State recently awarded the District about $1 million for salary increases.
The letter goes on to say, "Superintendent Hanna has repeatedly delayed implementation, forcing teachers to needlessly wait for the raises they rightfully earned."
"For the last two years, throughout negotiations with the Teachers Association, we've offered them memorandums of understanding around that money that came from the State earmarked for teacher salary increases," said Hanna. "Both times we've offered those memorandums of understanding, we've been rejected by the Teachers Union."
So right now, that $1 million is on hold?
"That's right," said Hanna. "It's just sitting. It's on hold. We've offered another memorandum of understanding to try to get it out before the deadline of October 1st."
Kamoutsas' letter also calls the union "complicit" in delaying the rollout of this money.
"The only response is this: it is not about an amount of money, it's about the right amount of money," said Kamoutsas.
Next steps — Mazur said he'll offer up the memorandum of understanding to the Union to see if they want to accept the $1 million from the State, or push for more money.
Those discussions between the District and the Union are set to take place on Wednesday at the Aquilina Howell Center.
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