The following is a detailed analysis of the current East Lansing School District union contract that covers teachers as well as a few other employee groups. The district employs about 220 teachers and enrolls 3,400 students. Of its $34 million operating budget, 70 percent goes toward paying employees working under this contract.
Table of Contents:
Salary Schedule
Fringe Benefits
Pension and Retirement Benefits
Bonus Pay for Additional Duties or Certification
Leave/Sick Time
Work Schedule/Environment
Extra Curricular Activities Compensation
Salary Schedule
- Base salaries are determined strictly by "steps," which use a matrix of years experience and graduate credit hours and degrees.
- There are 13 "steps" on the schedule, so teachers get automatic pay raises (4-6 percent) for their first 13 years in the district.
- In addition to step increases, the entire salary schedule increases by 1 percent each year.
- Teachers also receive longevity payments after achieving 14 and 19 years of employment in the district. These one-time payments range from $750 to $1,350, depending on highest earned educational degree.
- 70 percent of teachers have graduate degrees and 71 percent have more than 5 years experience, meaning the vast majority of teachers' base salary is between $51,547 and $73,017.
- The Michigan Department of Education reported the average teacher salary in East Lansing in 2007-08 was $62,562.
Fringe Benefits
- District pays $15,243 for teacher health insurance family premiums.
- Teachers contribute nothing to the cost of the premium.
- Teachers electing to waive health insurance receive a monthly stipend of $300.
- The average family premium plan in Michigan costs $11,300.
- Health insurance plan: Physicians Health Plan Plus with no deductible, $5/$10 RX card, $20 office visit copay, $25 urgent care copay and $50 emergency room copay
- The district also provides at no cost to teachers a $50,000 life insurance policy, dental, vision and long term disability insurance plans.
Pension and Retirement Benefits
- Every teacher participates in the state-run Michigan Public School Employee Retirement System, a defined-benefit lifetime pension system
- Pension calculation: highest 3-year average compensation X 1.5 percent X years of service
- Retirement eligibility: 30 years of service at age 46 or 15 years of service at age 55
- Teacher contribution: 5.4 percent of salary
- After 55, subsidized medical, dental and vision insurance for life (employees never contribute more than 18 percent of premiums)
- Annual pension based on 30 years experience in East Lansing School District with base salary of $73,017 (final M.A. step): $32,857.65
- District pays 30 to 50 percent of final salary as a severance package to retiring teachers
Bonus Pay for Additional Duties or Certification
- Curriculum department chairpersons: $1,139-$4,926, plus additional leave days
- for curriculum business (based on experience and department size)
- Summer school: $29.64/hr
- Mentor teachers: $30/hr (for up to 30 hours per year)
- Curriculum development: $23.29/hr
- Curriculum in-service training: $17.87/hr (limited to contractual days)
Leave/Sick Time
-
10 sick leave days per year
- Unlimited accumulation
- Paid $55 per day upon retirement (max of $7,500)
- May be used for personal or immediate family illness, funerals, child care
- Leave time for an illness or accident is paid and unlimited. Teachers are restored to position upon return to district.
- Paid leave time: Personal business (2 days), jury duty, court appearances, educational conferences (5 days), visitation of other schools (1 day), service physical examinations
-
Unpaid leave time (restored to previous position
upon return):
- Maternity: 1 year
- Parental and childcare: 2 years
- Elected to union office: 2 years
- Military: limitations dictated by federal law
- AmeriCorps/Peace Corps: 2 years
- Campaigning or serving in public office: 2 years
- "Professional enrichment:" 1 year
- Other purposes contingent on Board approval: 1 year
- Union president: release time equal to 1/5 of teaching duties
- District pays for 15 days for teachers to conduct union business
- Compensated Professional Leave (sabbatical): 1 year max, up to full salary (based on years of experience)
- Regional Michigan Education Association meetings: 1 day paid per year
Work Schedule/Environment
- 183 work days
- Work hours per week: 31 (must be in building 10 minutes before start and end of class)
- Uninterrupted lunch period: 30 minutes
- Hours per work year: 1,135
- U.S. average hours per work year: 1,792
- Weekly pupil contact teaching loads: 25 hours and 25 minutes
-
"Unscheduled" time per week for elementary
teachers: 190 minutes
- Must occur during school day hours
- Teachers must not be required to supervise any classroom during this time
- The district will use $75,000 annually to address "teacher overload" grievances, none of which may be used to hire new teachers
- Teachers may not be required to supervise more than one recess period per week.
- Teachers may not supervise student lunch periods.
- All schools must make available for teachers a lunchroom, lounge, lavatory and telephone facility.
Extra Curricular Activities Compensation
-
Coaching (based on experience)
-
Head football and basketball: $7,593-$8,352
- Assistants: $4,556-$5,315
- Head track and soccer: $6,833-$7,593
- Assistants: $3,797-$4,556
- Head baseball, softball, swimming, wrestling,
volleyball, lacrosse: $6,454-$7,213
- Assistants: $3,417-$4,176
- Head tennis, cheerleading, gymnastics, hockey: $5,695-$6,454
- Assistants: $3,037-$3,797
- Head cross country, golf, skiing: $4,935-$5,695
- Assistants: $2,658-$3,417
-
Head football and basketball: $7,593-$8,352
- Music and Fine Arts
- Director of Theater: $7,213-$7,973
- Band Director (H.S.): $6,074-$6,834
- Drama Performance: $5,695-$6,454
- Orchestra: $5,695-$6,454
- Vocal Music: $5,315-$6,074
- Stage Manager: $3,797-$5,695
- Concert Band: $3,797-$4,556
- Stage Band: $3,037-$3,797
- Color Guard: $3,037-$3,797
- Stage/Jazz Band (M.S.): $2,658-$3,417
- Orchestra (M.S.): $2,658-$3,417
- Band Director (M.S.): $2,278-$3,037
- Vocal Music (M.S.): $2,278-$3,037
- Drama Assistant: $2,278-$3,037
- Art Club: $1,898-$2,658
- Percussion Instructor: $1,898-$2,658
- Stage Technician: $1,898-$2,658
- Elementary Choir: $1,519-$2,278
- Event Manager: $5,695-$6,454
- Debate: $5,695-$6,454
- Intramurals: $5,315-$6,074
- Student Pride: $3,417-$4,176
- Newspaper: $3,037-$3,797
- Senior Advisor: $2,658-$3,417
- Junior Advisor: $2,658-$3,417
- Sophomore Advisor: $2,658-$3,417
- Freshman Advisor: $2,658-$3,417
- Student Council: $2,658-$3,417
- Quiz Bowl: $2,658-$3,417
- United Nations Club: $2,658-$3,417
- Ceniad Advisor: $2,658-$3,417
- National Honor Society: $2,658-$3,417
- Key Club: $2,658-$3,417
- Yearbook (M.S.): $2,278-$3,037
- Debate Coach: $2,278-$3,037
- Students Against Drunk Driving: $2,278-$3,037
- Language Club: $1,898-$2,658
- Student Radio: $1,898-$2,658
- Black Student Union: $1,898-$2,658
- Asian Pacific Affairs Club: $1,898-$2,658
- Hispanic Club: $1,898-$2,658
- Special Olympics coach (M.S.): $600-$2,400
- Dance Club: $1,519-$2,278
- Safeties: $1,519-$2,278
- Soliloquy: $1,519-$2,278
- Yearbook Business Manager: $1,139-$1,898
- Middle school intramurals supervisor: $1,200
