The Negotiated Agreement will be a multi-year agreement that includes commitments on restoring all lost steps and other compensation improvements.

May 16, 2019

  • 5 COLA Adjustment to all pay tables effective July 1, 2019
  • Step 21 will be added to all pay tables effective July 1, 2019, at a value of 3% above Step 20
  • All eligible employees will receive one step increase effective July 1, 2019
  • 2 longevity steps will be given to employees who are currently below Step 20 as of June 30, 2019, and were on hand as of June 30, 2009, with no break in service effective July 1, 2019
  • A 3% differential will be given to employees who are currently at Step 21 as of June 30, 2019, and were on hand as of June 30, 2009, with no break in service effective July 1, 2019

  • 5 COLA Adjustment to all pay tables effective July 1, 2020
  • All eligible employees will receive one step increase effective July 1, 2020
  • One longevity step will be given to employees who are currently below Step 20 as of June 30, 2020, and was on hand as of June 30, 2010, with no break in service effective July 1, 2020
  • A 4.5% differential will be given to employees who are currently at Step 21 as of June 30, 2020, and were on hand as of June 30, 2010, with no break in service effective July 1, 2020

  • 5 COLA Adjustment to all pay tables effective July 1, 2021
  • All eligible employees will receive one step increase effective July 1, 2021
  • One longevity step will be given to employees who are currently below Step 20 as of June 30, 2021, and were on hand as of June 30, 2011, with no break in service effective July 1, 2021
  • A 4.5% differential will be given to employees who are currently at Step 21 as of June 30, 2021, and were on hand as of June 30, 2011, with no break in service effective July 1, 2021

April 10, 2019

  • Article 24, New B. – All schools will be provided an overview of Restorative Practices and will administer the readiness survey to determine faculty support for becoming a Restorative Practices school. The survey will be administered by the PGCPS Restorative Practices Program Coordinator with support from the building FAC. The readiness survey must indicate that a minimum of 75% of the staff is in support of the school transitioning to a Restorative Practices school during the subsequent school year.
  • Article 24, New C. – In schools transitioning to Restorative Practices, the district will provide principals with training and support to facilitate effective planning and implementation.
  • Article 24, New D. – Restorative Practices schools will be provided a Restorative Practices coordinator position. Qualified Unit I staff members already at the school will have the first opportunity to apply for this position. The Restorative Practices coordinator position will be classified as a Unit I position.
  • Article 24, New EJ. – Administrators and staff members at Restorative Practices schools will be provided the full training, including the financial support necessary, to successfully implement this approach throughout the school.

  • Article 6.1 A, 1 (replacement language) – Subject to the PGCPS Calendar, of the above number of days, one day at or near the end of quarter 1, quarter 2, and quarter 3 will be scheduled as non-student teacher workdays in order that Unit I members will be able to complete required reports, communicate with parents or other non-teaching duties. Unit I members will be permitted to work from home or an alternate location on these days, with the understanding that it will remain the responsibility of Unit I members to meet all grading and other deadlines.

  • Article 6.1, A, 2 (replacement language) – Of the above number of days two full workdays preceding the first student day and one workday at the end of the school year shall be scheduled by the principal exclusively for Unit I members to work in their classrooms or other assigned work locations. If adjustments to the PGCPS Calendar result in only one non-instructional day remaining at the end of the teacher work year, that day will be scheduled for Unit I members to work in their classrooms.

  • Article 6.1, A, New 3 – Of the above number of days one 7-hour day will be used by Unit I members to complete required web-based trainings (such as Smart Schools training videos). This workday will not be included in the school year calendar but be used by Unit I members outside of normal work hours, to complete assigned video trainings which must be finished by published due dates. Assigned web-based trainings will not total more than 7 hours.

  • Article 6.2, New D – Collaborative Planning

    1. Any non-instructional time labeled as collaborative planning shall not be counted towards required minimum Planning Time as described in Article 6.2 C.

    2. Collaborative Planning time shall be led by Unit I members and used as a vehicle for teams of teachers and other appropriate Unit I members to work together for their students. Collaborative planning time, or any other meeting of Unit I members, with an agenda created, or led, by administration shall be considered meeting time as described in Article 8, E.

    3. Collaborative planning will be required no more than twice a month and be no longer than 45 minutes long.

March 20, 2019

  • Article 21.1 – Recommendations from the joint PGCEA/PGCPS Tuition Reimbursement Task Force shall be considered as the basis for changes to the tuition reimbursement language.

  • Article 21.1 A.6 (new language) – Funding for the Tuition Reimbursement Program shall be increased by $2,000,000 above the FY19 level.

  • Article 21.3 (new C.) – Unit I employee premiums and co-pays shall not increase for the duration of this agreement.

  • Article 21.3 (new D) – Plan design changes to insurance benefits for Unit I members cannot be instituted without discussion and agreement between PGCEA and the Board.

  • Article 22.2 (new H.) – All Unit I members hired after January 1, 2019 and starting work on or after July 1, 2019, will be placed on the same step as existing PGCPS hires with similar years of experience and education. However, all new hires to PGCPS will be capped at Step 10 of the appropriate salary scale for their initial placement. A salary placement matrix will be developed and included in the salary scale section of the contract.

  • Article 22.6 (replacement language) – All eligible full-time and part-time (benefits eligible) employees will receive a step increase effective July 1 of each year, for the duration of the contract.

  • Article 22.6 (replacement language) – A 3% Cost of Living Allowance will be applied to all steps and all lanes of the salary schedule effective July 1, 2019. COLAs will be applied each year of the duration of the agreement. Over the course of the contract COLAs will result in a 10% improvement to the salary schedule.

  • Article 22.6 (replacement language) – Additional step increases will be applied to all Unit I members impacted by lost steps. All lost steps, up to step 20, will be restored to those teachers who were eligible but did not receive them, before this contract expires.

February 27, 2019

PGCPS will hire more certified staff members such as Pupil Personnel Workers, school psychologists, social workers, and Restorative Practices coordinators to lower caseloads and support at-risk students with a focus on recruiting bilingual staff. The increased staffing will focus on positions that work directly with students with behavioral, mental health and truancy issues. 

  • Article 4.2 H (new language) – PGCEA shall be provided a quarterly report by school, of Unit I position transfers, resignations, retirements, terminations and administrative leaves.
  • Article 13, G (new 2) – PGCPS shall provide quarterly reports to PGCEA of schools filing work orders for mold, air, and/or water quality testing or remediation as well as actions taken to address reported concerns.
  • Article 13 H (new language) – Unit I members will have direct access to maintenance request forms and will be able to initiate and track maintenance requests for their classrooms and other assigned works areas.
  • Article 13 I (new language) – Unit I members will assess school climate and administration annually using a perception survey designed and administered by PGCEA. Survey data will be shared with the CEO and used to identify school administrative leadership in need of improvement, transfer or other appropriate actions.
  • Article 13, J (new language) – PGCPS shall commit at all levels to ensuring that no Unit I member shall be subject to harassment, hostile or humiliating behavior or be subjected to abusive language or threats by supervisors, parents, or students, as required under Maryland Statute and the negotiated agreement. PGCPS and the Board of Education will work with PGCEA to ensure appropriate policies and administrative procedures are in place to ensure compliance.
  • Article 14, A,14 (new language) – Reasonable routine housekeeping and maintenance will be provided in all PGCPS schools. 
  • Article 14, C. (new language) – PGCPS will not use temporary classrooms at regional schools serving students with profound/significant cognitive or physical disabilities or at Early Childhood Centers for classrooms or other student programs or activities.
  • Article 17, G (new 2 a.) – In cases of assault, Unit 1 Members will not be required to notify law enforcement or file a complaint against the assailant, in order to qualify for assault leave.
  • Article 22, G. 8. (new Language) – Pupil Personnel Workers shall be 11-month positions.

  • Article 6, D, 1 & 2 (replacement language) – The substitute hourly rate will be changed from $18 per hour to the Unit I member’s hourly per diem rate of pay.

  • Article 6, D, new 3 – When a Unit I member assigned to a co-taught class is absent and no substitute teacher is available, the remaining co-teacher shall be compensated under the language in Article 6, D, 2.

  • Article 7, New E – Co-taught classes shall have both general educators and special educators assigned to them. When a co-teacher is absent, a substitute must be provided.

  • Article 20.3 Class Size and Caseload (new language) –

    • A. PGCPS and PGCEA will form a joint task force to establish a mutually agreed upon measure of class size. Recommendations for the appropriate teacher-to-student ratios across PGCPS will be established. Ratios will not rely on increasing or exempting specialists (such as music, art, and PE teachers) from appropriate ratios.

    • B. PGCPS and PGCEA will form a joint task force to make recommendations for appropriate caseload ratios for school counselors, psychologists, speech language pathologists, therapists, pupil personnel workers, and social workers.

    • C. Both task forces will begin their work in September of 2019 and report back to the PGCEA and PGCPS negotiating teams by January 31, 2020.

    • D. Assignment Equalization language (Article 20.3) will be updated and clarified for the 2020-21 school year based on the recommendation of the joint task force on class size.

February 6, 2019

  • Article 6.2, C. 2, a. (replacement language) – Secondary Schools: Unit I members shall receive a continuous block of daily planning time equal to a full class period or 45 minutes, whichever is greater. Secondary planning time shall be scheduled during the student day.

  • Article 6.2, C. 2, b. – Elementary Schools, Early Childhood Centers, and Special Education Centers: Recommendations from the joint PGCEA/PGCPS Joint Elementary Planning Time Committee shall be considered as the basis for changes to provide more elementary planning during the workday.

  • Article 12, D, 8 – Recommendations from the joint PGCEA/PGCPS Joint Lesson Planning Work Group shall be considered as the basis for language to determine a comprehensive approach to lesson planning.

  • Article 23.11 Athletic Directors and Coaches (new language) A full-time, 11-month Athletic Director position will be added at all PGCPS comprehensive high schools or other schools with a full athletic program comparable to a comprehensive high school. Athletic Directors will be Unit I members.

  • Article 23.11 Athletic Directors and Coaches (new language) – Athletic Directors and Unit I member coaches will be provided professional leave time necessary to meet the program requirements of the PGCPS athletic program.

  • Article 20.6 Special Educators (new language) – Special education teachers will be released from teaching and other duties at least one day per month to work on paperwork/IEP compliance. Substitutes shall be provided to cover any teaching or co-teaching assignments.

  • Article 22, G. 7. (new Language) – School Counselors shall be 11-month positions.

  • New Testing Language (to be added to Article 20) – PGCPS will publish testing and survey calendar dates and windows of all state and local mandated tests and surveys, as well as required ELL testing, before the first-day teachers report to work. The published testing information will include the number of minutes required for each local/state test. This testing information will also be shared with parents through appropriate communication venues.

  • New Testing Language (to be added to Article 20) – PGCPS will document that the school system is in compliance with the More Learning, Less Testing Act of 2017. This information will be made public by December 31 of each school year.

Teacher Evaluation will provide productive and timely feedback and discussion between teacher and administrators that facilitates improved instruction and student performance. Evaluations will provide clear guidelines on areas of improvement that serve to guide teachers’ professional growth. Final observation ratings will be mutually agreed upon by the Unit I member and the evaluator, based on discussion and evidence, during the post-observation conference.

  • Article 9, New G– At least 75% of a teacher’s evaluation will be based on ratings of professional practice, no more than 25% of a teacher’s evaluation will be based on student growth.

  • Article 9, New H – Student Perception Surveys will not be used in teacher evaluations.

  • Article 9, New I – Unit 1 members’ evaluations will not include data based on the performance of students they do not teach.

  • Article 9, New J – High school teacher evaluations will not include SAT scores.

  • Article 9, New K – No teacher shall receive an ineffective rating on their SLOs without an opportunity to fix technical, data entry, or test item errors (such as in entering pre or post-test data). If necessary, such opportunities to fix errors shall expand past data entry deadlines.

  • Article 9, New L – Formal observations and evaluations of Unit I members shall only be done by administrators who have been certified in the PGCPS Evaluation System. Informal observations done by other Unit I members shall not be used in evaluations.

  • Article 9, M. (replacement language for current 9, G.) – The teacher evaluation system will be reviewed during the 2019-20 school year by a restructured joint PGCEA/PGCPS TPE Steering Committee. Changes recommended by the committee will be implemented in the 2020-21 school year. The committee will be restructured as follows:

    • PGCEA President or designee and PGCPS CEO or designee will serve as co-chairs.

    • There will be an equal number of voting members appointed by PGCEA and PGCPS.

    • Unit I members will be appointed by the President of PGCEA.

    • The Steering Committee will be tasked with ensuring that evaluation procedures are fair and appropriate for the level of instruction, the students whose growth will be measured, and the content area taught.

    • The committee will look for ways to simplify the evaluation system, make it more transparent, and reduce teacher workload related to evaluation.

    • The Committee will meet at least monthly beginning in September 2019. The Committee will continue to meet to monitor implementation of changes and suggest further refinements to teacher evaluation, for the duration of the contract.