The Board of Education of Frederick County (Board) and Frederick County Teachers Association (FCTA) bargaining team representatives have reached a tentative three-year agreement. The FCTA will proceed with a ratification vote in the next few days, and the new negotiated agreement will be effective upon ratification with the Board, which is tentatively scheduled for September 22, 2021.
“After nine months of negotiations including formal mediation, we are pleased to bring a tentative agreement to our members for a vote,” Missy Dirks, FCTA President, said. “While it does not provide all we had hoped, I do believe that it is a fair contract that makes progress on items important for retention and recruitment of teachers and certificated staff integral to the education of students in Frederick County. We look forward to continued progress on teacher salaries, leadership and non-instructional time that will be possible in the coming years thanks to the Blueprint for Maryland's Future.”
The Board is excited to move forward with this three-year agreement, which provides focused time for both the Board and the FCTA to collaborate with the changes coming due to the Blueprint for Maryland's Future.
“I am pleased we have reached an agreement and appreciate all that teachers have endured since March 2020,” Jay Mason, BOE President, said. "I also appreciate the collaborative efforts of the FCPS and FCTA negotiating teams and thank them for all of their time and effort to get us to an agreement."
Highlights of the agreement include:
- All eligible employees will advance a step on the current pay scales in addition to receiving an across-the-board cost-of-living adjustment of 1.5%.
- Teachers with a hire date on or before February 1, 2021, will receive a $1,400 retention incentive in their December 15, 2021, paycheck.
- The agreement provides additional paid work days for individuals serving in a leadership role, special education teachers and speech language pathologists.