The New York City Department of Education and the city’s teachers’ union said last week they have reached a tentative agreement that would raise the salaries of the most senior teachers to more than $100,000.
In a departure from recent, more contentious practice, the agreement was reached 11 months before the current contract expires.
The pact, which still must be approved by the 120,000 members of the United Federation of Teachers, provides a 7.1 percent pay increase over the two-year period ending in October 2009. Teachers with three years’ experience would see their minimum salaries rise from $51,102 to $54,730. Those at the top of the scale, currently paid $93,416, would earn $100,049.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a Nov. 7 news conference that the pact shows the city’s devotion to using its own money to fund schools and compensate teachers.
The mayor made his comments the same day voters elected Eliot Spitzer, the state’s attorney general, as governor. Mr. Spitzer, a Democrat, has said the state will obey a court order to give nearly $5 billion more annually to the city’s schools, but he wants the city to pitch in more of its own money.
Also last week, Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein and the president of the city’s principals’ union, Jill S. Levy, each issued letters to city principals outlining their differing views on why a contract agreement has not been reached for school administrators.
