But to get a decent raise under the new contract, a teacher cannot rest on his or her laurels. The salary schedule distributes money in such a way that it rewards teachers who take courses and earn credits through a variety of options. We wouldn't have done it otherwise. We had to both come out winners, which I think we did. The lower percentage in Manitowoc is partly the result of a young teaching staff, in which nearly half have fewer than five years of experience.
Kids do have a better chance to achieve at a higher level if teacher performance can be enhanced.
Local association leaders agree. Here was a way to accomplish both goals. Gary Bents, who has negotiated contracts for MEA for more than a decade, said everything just came together this year. In the past, the union and district have had an adversarial relationship, he said. Negotiators held six or seven informal meetings in which they openly discussed issues in a non-adversarial format.