After months of impasse, Frederick County Board of Education ratifies teachers' contract
Sep. 23—More than a month after teachers at Frederick County Public Schools returned to work without a contract, the county's Board of Education on Wednesday unanimously voted to ratify the tentative agreement it reached with the union representing the county's teachers last week.
Since a majority of Frederick County Teachers Association members also voted to approve the agreement — 93 percent, FCTA President Missy Dirks said — the impasse that has existed between the union and the board for more than two months is officially over.
During the board's meeting Wednesday evening, Dirks identified the ratified contract as "fair and reasonable" but noted there is still work to be done.
"Many of the challenges that we began to address through this tentative agreement are not unique to FCPS," she said. "But it is incumbent upon us to find the solutions that allow us to retain our highly qualified staff that has worked so hard, especially over the last 18 months."
Under the new contract — which will last through the 2023-2024 school year — all eligible employees will advance a step on the pay scale and receive a 1.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment. They will also be paid retroactively for the time they worked since the last contract expired in July, including the pay step and cost-of-living adjustment.
Teachers hired on or before Feb. 1 of this year will additionally receive a $1,400 retention bonus in their paycheck on Dec. 15. The ratified agreement also increases the number of paid work days provided for employees in leadership roles — such as department chairs — special education teachers and speech language pathologists, allowing these employees to be paid for more of the hours they need to work to meet federally-required mandates.
At Wednesday's meeting, Dr. Mike Markoe, deputy superintendent for FCPS and the board's chief negotiator, noted the contract also included the creation of joint work groups between the two parties to discuss workload concerns related to special education and concurrent teaching.
He thanked the board and FCPS leadership for their support and guidance throughout the negotiation process, later adding, "I am grateful to FCTA's president, Missy Dirks, as well as the entire FCTA negotiating team for their dedication to the collective bargaining process and ultimately seeking a successful conclusion."
The teachers' previous contract expired on June 30 before the board and the union were able to reach a consensus on a new agreement. After Maryland's Public School Labor Relations Board affirmed the parties were at an impasse more than a month later, they selected a mediator and began the mediation process in September. Ten days later, they had reached a tentative agreement — a major milestone in a negotiation process that began in January.
The new contract ratified Wednesday evening will take effect immediately, Dirks said.
"We look forward to working together on the many teaching and learning issues that still need to be addressed," she told the board Wednesday.
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