Wichita teachers, school board reach tentative contract agreement

By John Wright

CREATED Jul. 24, 2012

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The United Teachers of Wichita and the Wichita School Board of Education announced a one year agreement on a teachers' contract for the 2012-2013 school year. 

The value of the total compensation package is 4.04 percent. Highlights of the tentative agreement include:
 
• 1 percent increase to the salary schedule;
• One step on the salary schedule for years of experience (“Steps”); 
• Adjustment on the salary schedule based on additional education (“Tracks”);
• Teachers will move to the appropriate place on the longevity schedule, but will not receive back pay; 
• Professional dress code;
• No changes to the employee health plan;
• Converting a teacher in-service day to a classroom work day during teacher report week in 
August; 
• Early dismissal for teachers on end-of-semester and end-of-year grading dates if grades are 
submitted by noon on those days; and
• Two separate study committees comprised of administrators and teachers, one to focus on 
professional development, and one to focus on evaluations in light of the recently-announced 
NCLB waiver for Kansas.
 
“We value the work of our teachers and what they do to educate and support 50,000 students in 
the Wichita Public Schools,” said Board of Education President Lynn Rogers. “We’ve said since 
January that it was vitally important this year to recognize this value through increased compensation."
 
The United Teachers of Wichita represents nearly 4,000 teachers in Wichita Public Schools.