I want to update all 12 month instructional personnel about the reduction of your work year following yesterday's School Board meeting.

Agenda item D-26 was passed by the School Board at the June 17th meeting.

UTD was exceptionally concerned with how this would affect your employment. Therefore, we were bargaining on your behalf until the very last minute prior to the vote. We were able to preserve your status as 12 month employees.

The impact of that action is that all 12 month contracts for Managerial and Instructional employees will be modified from the current 260 days to 250 days. The School District will be closed for Winter and Spring recess. You will not be working and you will not burn vacation days over the recess days.

The practical impact for you as a current 12-month instructional employee is that your total annual salary, including supplements and credentials, will be reduced by 3.85%. This change will take place effective July 1, 2009. Currently 12-month employees are actually required to report to work for 247 days, effective 2009-10 that will be changed to 237. All holidays and recess days were maintained, 10 actual work days were cut.

Your salary will still be paid to you over the current 12-month pay schedule so that you will continue to receive a check every two weeks. In order to get a check every two weeks, they will continue to divide your total salary (reduced by 3.85%) by 260. Therefore your daily rate for payroll purposes will be reduced. This is exactly the same as current practice, but it will be 237/260 instead of 247/260.

The item also reduces vacation accrual. Vacation accrual will be reduced by a half day at each tier. First 5 years will accrue 11.5 instead of 12, years six to ten will accrue 14.5 days instead of 15, and over ten years will accrue 19.5 days instead of 20.

UTD and MDCPS begin bargaining on June 26, 2009. In addition to the overall improvements to salary schedules, we will be re-visiting this issue. It is our intent to make modifications to the formula that will improve your annual salary/vacation accrual going forward.

It is also possible that some of you will be transferred to the J payroll (11 1/2 month) or the DJJ payroll based on your actual work location and duties.

If UTD had done nothing, all 12 month instructional personnel would have become 10 month instructional personnel effective July 1, 2009 due to legislation passed last session. This required the action of the School Board, which is why D-26 was so critical.

Please visit our website throughout the summer for updates on bargaining.  Bargaining sessions are open to the public. I urge you to attend!

Click here for MDCPS/UTD Letter of Understanding