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Anoka Hennepin Education Minnesota teachers voted this week to renew Q-Comp for the 2014-2015 school year, approved the Teacher Development and Evaluation Plan created jointly by AHEM teachers and district administrators, and elected Jay Wilkins our next AHEM Vice President. Here are the numbers:
- Yes on Q-Comp Renewal: 98.5%
- Yes on Teacher Development and Evaluation Plan: 96.2%
- Jay Wilkins for Vice President: 61.8%
A 75% majority was required to renew Q-Comp and a simple majority was needed to accept the Teacher Development and Evaluation Plan. 71% of our membership turned out to vote. Congratulations to Jay Wilkins and thanks to all who voted, all who conducted votes in their buildings, our volunteer tellers, our elections chair Amanda Glover-Peterson, and our administrative staff Janie Hemmelgarn and Angela Ekvall.
Special thanks to the Teacher Development and Evaluation Team headed by Tom Powers and Sarah Kriewall, and all those who make Q-Comp happen lead by Todd Mensink and Kim Pavlovich. The strong vote is a testament to great efforts of these groups and all those who participated in Q-Comp this year. Together across the district, we have used these tools to improve our practice. Thank you for supporting the continuation of that important work.
COON RAPIDS, Minn. April 17, 2014 –Anoka Hennepin Education Minnesota announced Thursday that its members have voted to approve a tentative labor agreement reached with the district earlier this month.
The agreement was accepted by teachers with 84.6 percent approval. The agreement now goes to the Anoka-Hennepin School Board for final approval at its regular meeting April 28.
"We are relieved to have our contract resolved,” said Julie Blaha, president of Anoka Hennepin Education Minnesota. “Months of negotiations on an overdue contract have been an unwelcome distraction from our classrooms.”
If approved by the school board, the contract will be retroactive to July 1, 2013, and run through June 30, 2015.
Highlights of the agreement:
- Teachers will receive a salary increase in the first year of $1,000 plus an additional 1.5 percent for more experienced teachers. In the second year, there is a 1.5 percent increase for newer teachers and 2.0 percent increase for more experienced teachers. This does not include other compensation increases tied to gains in experience and training.
- AHEM accepted a cap on health insurance contributions from the district after the district agreed to guarantee 100 percent of the cost of a plan next year.
- The district agreed to drop a proposal to add an extra step on the salary schedule for younger teachers.
- AHEM agreed to take a portion of its members pay increase as a one-time stipend.
- The district will add a new high deductible health plan with an HRA option next year and include an incentive for those who choose the plan.
Education Minnesota, the state union of educators, reported that 17 percent of the 331 regular school district contracts it tracks were unsettled as of April 16. The average salary increase for teachers this cycle was 1.7 percent in the first year and 2 percent in the second.
COON RAPIDS, Minn. April 1, 2014 - The negotiators for Anoka Hennepin Education Minnesota and Anoka-Hennepin public schools have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract for the district’s 2,800 teachers.
The deal was reached after seven hours of talks on Monday night at the offices of the state Bureau of Mediation. The contract would be retroactive to July 1, 2013 and expire June 30, 2015.
“While we did need to make compromises to come to an agreement, we believe this settlement will allow our teachers to return their full attention to the work they care about most deeply – educating our students,” said AHEM President Julie Blaha.
Blaha said the agreement does not include a controversial extra step on the salary schedule that would have targeted younger teachers. The two sides also reached compromise positions on health insurance benefits and compensation.
Anoka Hennepin Education Minnesota negotiators will recommend canceling a planned strike authorization vote scheduled for April 17 after reaching the deal. The members of AHEM will vote on the tentative agreement the week of April 14. If they accept it, the agreement will go to the school board for final ratification.
The two sides agreed to share the following details Tuesday. Additional information will be released after members of AHEM have been briefed on the contents of the tentative agreement.
- AHEM accepted a cap on health insurance contributions from the district after the district agreed to guarantee 100 percent of the cost of a plan next year.
- The district agreed to drop the extra step on the salary schedule for younger teachers.
- AHEM agreed to take a portion of its members pay increase as a one-time stipend.
- The salary increase, not including increases in experience or training, in the first year was $1000 for each teacher plus an additional 1.5 percent for more experienced teachers. In the second year, a 1.5 percent increase for newer teachers and 2.0 percent increase for more experienced teachers.
- The district will add a new high deductible health plan with an HRA option next year and include an incentive for those who choose the plan.
