Newport-Mesa teachers get 9% pay hike

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT-MESA -- After months of grueling negotiations, teachers have

secured a 9% raise in pay -- the first across-the-board increase in two

years -- bringing their salaries just above the average for unified

districts in Orange County.

With the average teacher salary in the Newport-Mesa Unified School

District currently at about $49,000 this hike would boost that to

$53,410.

Negotiators reached a verbal agreement Tuesday for the 9% pay hike and

will work on signing a tentative agreement today, said Linda Mook,

president of the Newport-Mesa Teachers Federation.

“This is an agreement that I hope keeps the teachers committed to

Newport-Mesa,” Mook said. “The board has committed to maintain teachers’

salaries between the mean and the 75th percentile, so teachers won’t be

-- as they have been for the past year -- fighting with Orange Unified

for the bottom rung for unified pay.”

Teachers and district officials hope to ratify the salary and various

other agreements Sept. 12.

“We’re just very pleased to have reached an agreement and move teacher

salaries to the median,” said Lori McCune, assistant superintendent of

human resources. “We are still finishing up some minor changes to the

agreement.”

Teachers who have heard rumors of the successful negotiations couldn’t

be more pleased to hear of the increase.

“There’s a feeling among teachers these days, that this community is

finally waking up to the need to support education,” said Joe Robinson, a

teacher at Newport Harbor High School. “We finally passed the bond and I

think that parents and the community have realized the importance of

education. It’s a really good feeling for teachers -- it makes us feel

like we’re not alone out here.”

Although it was by far the biggest concern to teachers, the salary

discussion was just one of five topics officials hope to sign off in

agreement on today.

The other hot topics on the negotiating table for the past several

months include the policy on teacher transfers, a new teacher evaluation

process that is aligned with the new state standards, a peer assistance

and review program and a pay increase of $1 an hour for all hourly adult

education employees.