Staff Writer

Scarborough Education Association President Peggy Clements said she’s happy the union and school board have accepted a new contract, but remains mindful of the hard work that went into negotiations.

“We had to give to get,” said the Eight Corners Primary School teacher about the new three-year pact that takes effect Sept. 1 and expires Aug. 31, 2013.

Contract terms include the addition of two pay scales or “lanes” designed to keep experienced teachers and reward continuing education efforts, while stipends paid for coaching or leading extracurricular activities are capped at current levels.

Pay increases in the contract vary depending on the education level and experience of teachers. The addition of pay scales for teachers with a bachelor’s degree and 15 credits toward a master’s degree and a master’s degree plus 30 credits toward a doctorate will allow more experienced teachers additional ways to increase their pay and create better qualified teachers, Clements said.

A scale for teachers with a master’s degree and accumulating 15 credits toward a doctorate will be added for the final year of the contract.

Board of Education member Jackie Perry said base increases may amount to half a percent this year and 2.5 percent in each of the next two years while. She noted about 70 teachers received no raises over the last year while working under conditions of the contract that expired Aug. 31, 2009.

The new contract reflects the give and take of bargaining as teachers won a reduction in their school year from 185 to 182 days, a reduction in sick days from 20 to 15 per year and an increase in personal days from two to three. The school day also was extended throughout the system to six hours, 25 minutes and reimbursements for courses taken by teachers have been capped. The reduction in school days affects teachers only, student school days remain at 180.

The new contract won favor with the board and union members. The board unanimously ratified it last Thursday and Clements said more than 96 percent of the approximately 275 teachers voted in favor of the agreement.

Clements and School Superintendent David Doyle said negotiators considered a one-year contract similar to those between the town and its public safety dispatchers and firefighters because of the uncertain economic picture.

Clements said reaching a three-year deal while giving residents a better idea of how much is spent on education and compensation was a goal for the union negotiation team, which was  led by teachers Paul Ledman and Dave O’Connor.

Doyle said contract negotiations took longer than any he could recall.

“I have been here since 1997, and we have never had a year where there was no contract,” Doyle said.

Clements called the negotiations hard work.

“It took two year of patience,” she said, and complimented both sides for their willingness to work together.

The contract caps stipends paid to teachers coaching sports and leading extracurricular activities at 2009-2010 levels.

Staff writer David Harry can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 219