- The Leon Classroom Teacher's Association wants a 3.5% base pay increase as opposed to the 2.88% the district offered during negotiations.
- After the district declared an impasse, a third party will now step into negotiations.
- Watch the video to learn what the next steps are for both the district and the union.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The ball is rolling in the process of selecting a Special Magistrate who will recommend what the outcome of salary negotiations between the Leon County School district and the teachers' union should be. I'm Kenya Cardonne in the Southwest Tallahassee neighborhood. I'm taking a closer
look at the road ahead.
The Leon County School District says the paperwork has been filed to receive a list of people who could potentially play the role of Special Magistrate in their salary negotiations with the Leon Classroom Teacher's Association.
Chris Petley, Leon County Schools District Spokesperson - "I think the priority for us is speed and quickness. We want to provide raises to our teachers as quickly as possible. So as soon as we get that list, we'll work with the Leon County Teachers Association to identify the person that can help move this train forward."
The move to bring in a magistrate comes after Tuesday's failure to reach an agreement on teacher salary increases.
The union wants a 3.5% base pay increase as opposed to the 2.88% the district offered during negotiations.
It's part of the district's $4M package which, according to a statement from Superintendent Rocky Hanna, would give teachers "annual increases between $1,495 and $1,949, with hourly rates rising by between $1.02 - $1.34 per hour."
That's an amount that teachers I spoke with say is not going to work.
Hannah Allison, Teacher - "No I don't think that's enough. I already am having problems surviving on the salary I do have."
Lillian Deans, Teacher - "I feel frustrated, honestly, and really hopeless."
Recent data from the Florida Department of Education shows the average salary for a Leon County teacher is $49,270.76.
Deans - "We have a bunch of amazing educators in Leon County who then have to leave and go elsewhere, who leave the profession completely, or leave the state, and then what are our kids doing now?
Failure to reach an agreement now means a third party will be brought in.
I met with attorney Marie Mattox, who says a Special Magistrate can impartially review the arguments from both ends and suggest how they should handle the dispute.
Marie Mattox, Attorney - "That's why you want both parties to agree on the person and come together and say, 'Yes, we trust this person to make a good, fair decision.'"
After the magistrate makes its recommendations, the outcome of negotiations will still ultimately be up to the School Board.
The district says the decision on the special magistrate will weigh heavily on how they will move forward.
Petley - "It's unfortunate that we got to this situation, but at the end of the day, our teachers are some of the best teachers in the state of Florida and in the nation and we want to reward them properly with the raises that they deserve."
The district says it could take 2-3 weeks to get a list of potential Special Magistrates that both parties can choose from.
In Southwest Tallahassee, Kenya Cardonne ABC 27
