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All MDCPS Teachers Cheated Out of Income Earnings & Retirement Benefits

Thais Alvarez
May 9, 2016
2 min read

Many teachers are under the impression that they are not negatively impacted by the contract which was ratified on September 9, 2015.

But, the truth is that all teachers, entry-level and veterans, are being denied income earnings which is statutorily owed to them whether in the form of grandfathered steps or performance pay.

All teachers are being financially cheated make up one of two groups as follows:

GROUP 1 - GRANDFATHERED TEACHERS

Grandfathered teachers are were hired before July 1, 2014. This means that: (1) your compensation will be tied to the last salary schedule adopted by the before July 1, 2014; and (2) you are on a professional service contract or tenured. "Grandfathered" teachers may individually opt out of the steps/tenured status and into "performance pay."

GROUP 2 - PERFORMANCE PAY TEACHERS

Performance pay teachers were hired on or after July 1, 2014, or will include teachers who voluntarily opted out of the "grandfathered in" status. This means that you: (1) earn a base salary which is adjusted annually for the cost of living; (2) may be eligible for a "bonus" if you are "Highly Effective" or "Effective;" and (3) are on annual contract - never tenured.

How is the performance pay "bonus" calculated?

For "Highly Effective" teachers the bonus must be greater than the greatest difference between two consecutive steps on the grandfathered salary schedule.

For "Effective" teachers the bonus shall be 50 to 75% of the "Highly Effective" bonus. The exact percentage would be negotiate by the union, UTD, and the Board. But, since they never followed the law, it has not yet been determined.

Running the numbers: Approximately how much of a bonus should you have earned?

For the 2014-15 school year, a "Highly Effective" teacher should have earned a bonus in the amount of $6,011 or greater. An "Effective" teacher's bonus should have been 50 - 75% of $6,011.

For the 2013 - 14 school year, a "Highly Effective" teacher should have earned a bonus in the amount of $7,511. An "Effective" teacher's bonus should have been 50 - 75% of $7,511.

Denying grandfathered steps also affects teachers close to retirement since retirement income calculations are determined by averaging the five years during which teachers had the greatest income earnings. By illegally removing the grandfathered steps veteran teachers are prevented from receiving the greatest salary increases of their entire careers, thus decimating the retirement income calculations made by the Florida Retirement System.