Teachers get tentative 6% raise

Deirdre Newman

NEWPORT-MESA -- Teachers and officials in the Newport-Mesa Unified

School District have reached a tentative agreement for a salary raise,

with both sides crediting a spirit of collaboration for producing the

accord.

The two-year agreement, agreed to Friday, calls for a 6% raise for

this school year, a 3% raise for the 2002-03 school year and a host of

other changes, including an increase in medical benefits.

The teachers will vote on the agreement Nov. 30. If it is ratified,

the pay hike would increase the average teacher salary in the district

from about $53,400 to about $56,600.

Linda Mook, president of the Newport-Mesa Teachers Federation, hailed

the agreement and voiced guarded optimism that it would pass.

“We’ve worked in a positive, collaborative way with the district to

achieve our mutual goals, and I think the agreement reflects just a lot

of creative, positive options,” Mook said.

Supt. Robert Barbot also praised the agreement as extremely fair.

The tentative agreement is unusual because it covers two years instead

of one. Next year, teachers will be able to focus on other pressing

issues, such as staff development, Mook said.

Newport-Mesa’s 6% raise compares favorably with some other unified

districts that have completed negotiations, with Garden Grove teachers

hammering out a tentative 4.4% raise and Laguna Beach teachers snagging a

5% increase.

One component of the agreement that Mook is especially happy with is a

provision for additional extra-duty pay for all teachers who participate

in after-school activities, such as coaching, augmenting an amount that

has been stagnant since 1992.

“We’ve been on the bottom on salary comparisons, so we had to put

every dollar onto the basic salary schedule, so we’ve never been able to

address things for all those dedicated teachers,” Mook said.

Another element that the teachers’ federation spent a great deal of

time negotiating was protection for catastrophic injury and illness. The

agreement calls for teachers to bank their sick days in a pool that other

employees can draw from.

“We think it’s a very humane process,” Mook said. “And we fully expect

teachers to donate to their colleagues. I don’t’ know that there’s very

many other districts that have something like this.”

The agreement also raises the amount the district will cover for

health benefits from $5,800 to $6,225 a year, Mook said.

-- Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 deirdre.newman@latimes.comf7 .