Schools

District 112, Teachers' Union Approve Contract

The vote comes a month after a short-lived teachers' strike and a marathon negotiating session that ended it. The board voted to amend the school calendar so the day missed because of the strike will be made up at the end of the year.

The District 112 School Board and members of the North Shore Education Association voted last week to approve a new two-year contract for the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 school years, according to District 112.

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The vote comes a month after a short-lived teachers' strike and a marathon negotiating session that ended it. The board voted to amend the school calendar so the day missed because of the strike will be made up at the end of the year.

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"The board was very happy this contract leaves them with a balanced budget without needing to draw from reserve funds," district spokeswoman Andi Rosen told the Chicago Tribune last week.

Details from the newly approved contract include step increases for eligible teachers on the salary schedule. Teachers who are not eligible for step increases will receive a $1,000 pay increase each year they are not eligible, meaning a 2.7 percent average salary increase for each year of the agreement.

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Lane changes, a contentious topic during the negotiations, will take effect at the midway point of each contract year. After the 2012-2013 school year, however, lane movement is limited to one lane every two years.

Joint committees will be formed to establish standards for coursework eligible for professional development credit as well as for alternatives to the current salary structure, according to a news release from District 112.

The full contract is available on the district's website.

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