Anne Arundel Teacher's Union Hits Impasse, Alleges Unfair Negotiation

Annapolis MD

16 June, 2022

10:24 AM

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ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Anne Arundel County teachers are arguing with the school board about planning time and pay. Both sides decided to meet with a third-party mediator and try to reach an agreement. The Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County, also known as TAAAC, announced the news on Wednesday. The union said Anne Arundel County Public Schools accepted this impasse and the Maryland Public School Labor Relations Board approved the impasse request. If the upcoming mediation fails, the sides could head to arbitration. The parties would then give up their authority and let an arbitrator make the final ruling. The teachers' press release said AACPS "has refused to see the union as a partner at the negotiations table." Union President Russell Leone said the sides have been negotiating for five months. The union said it has suggested policies to maintain teacher planning time. This would let educators prepare for classes, grade assignments and communicate with families. The school system did not respond to this proposal, Leone said. AACPS said it has not made any proposal that would change the amount of planning time allotted for teachers. The ongoing substitute shortage has forced teachers to give up some of that planning time and cover for their colleagues, the union said. Leone said other Maryland counties pay teachers a stipend for class coverage. He argued that unpaid class coverage increases workloads without raising compensation. "The Board of Education is struggling to hire sufficient educators and substitutes, which have burdened educators with increased workloads," Leone said in the release. "Currently, we have secured an agreement for additional compensation, but that is set to expire. We need to retain the educators we have and recruit the educators our students and peers deserve." Leone applauded the Anne Arundel County Council for addressing some of the union's pay concerns. He said the Council allocated money for a 4 percent cost-of-living adjustment, or a COLA, and a contractually guaranteed raise, or a step increase, for all Unit 1 teachers. "The County Council has approved a fair and productive starting point for negotiations," Leone said. "We cannot accept this compensation package with the threat of losing planning time, or increased non-professional duties, or decreased pay for sub-coverage. Educators deserve to be treated with respect for the dedication we provide to our students and public schools." AACPS spokesperson Bob Mosier told Patch the county has made major strides in teacher pay. "With the support of the County Executive and the County Council, the Board of Education has made quantum leaps forward in the compensation of our amazing teachers in recent years," Mosier said in an email. "All of the back step issues were eradicated earlier this year – well ahead of other employee bargaining units – and the County's full funding of the Board's requested compensation package in the FY2023 budget means that there are sufficient funds for teachers, like other employees, to receive a step increase and a 4 percent cost-of-living adjustment. It is extraordinarily unfortunate that the teacher's union leadership has chosen the stance that this is insufficient and that teachers, unlike other employees, will begin the new fiscal year in two weeks without a single penny of increased compensation." Related: More Teachers, First Responder Resources Touted As Anne Arundel Passes Bipartisan Budget