Teachers Union Contract, Fed-Funded Tutoring Plan OK’d

by LAURA GLESBY

City teachers will be getting a 15 percent pay raise over the next three years — while a new math-and-literacy tutoring initiative will be getting $3 million in federal aid to get off the ground — thanks to two recent education-focused votes by the Board of Alders.

Both of those votes took place Tuesday night during the latest bimonthly full Board of Alders meeting, which was held in person in the Aldermanic Chamber on the second floor of City Hall.

Alders unanimously voted to approve a contract between the New Haven Federation of Teachers and the New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) district. That nowfinalized union deal will run from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026.

The new contract includes a 14.79 percent salary increase over the course of three years, raising the starting salary for New Haven teachers with a bachelor’s degree from $45,357 to $51,421 by 2026.

In addition, the contract will enact between a 2 and 5 percent increase in employee contributions to healthcare plans. It will compensate teachers an additional $42 per hour for covering classes during their prep administrators, during which teachers can raise concerns about working conditions. gram for NHPS students. students by 2025, with every student receiving at least an hour of tutoring across multiple sessions per week.

At Tuesday’s full Board of Alders meeting, Marchand summarized some concerns among Finance and Education Committee members about the proposal.

“Many [alders] had questions about a lack of details about how the money would be spent … and the administration’s reliance on very many volunteers,” Marchand said.

The committees ultimately recommended that the plan be approved, Marchand said, because of an amendment requiring a review committee comprising an alder, a Board of Education member, and a city staff member to oversee the program’s development.

“We need to be doing everything we can to ensure our students have the resources they need,” echoed Education Committee Chair Eli Sabin.

Mullins brought up issues of litter, blight and potholes. He also mentioned the corruption of former Democratic State Representative and City Council administrative assistant Michael DiMassa, who is accused of embezzling over one million dollars of Federal Covid relief funds from the City. “One day of corruption is far too much corruption.” He said. “It is time to end the culture of corruption that has infested West Haven City Hall.”

Mullins served on the West Haven Planning and Zoning Commission for sixteen years until Mayor Nancy R. Rossi dismissed him last month.

In the video, Mullins criticized Rossi’s lack of leadership in cooperating with the State’s Municipal Accountability Review Board, which is threatening a complete state takeover of City finances due to the Rossi Administration’s non-compliance with the agency.

Finance Committee Chair Adam Marchand summarized these contents to his colleagues on Tuesday, while underscoring “the important role that teachers play with our youth.”

The alders also unanimously authorized the city to spend $3 million of federal

Mayor Justin Elicker proposed this tutoring plan months after learning that last school year, 83 percent of third graders performed below grade level in reading and 87 percent performed below grade level in math.

Educators rally outside City Hall for full school funding last March. City teachers will be getting a 15 percent pay raise over the next three years while a new math-and-literacy tutoring initiative will be getting $3 million in federal aid to get off the ground thanks to two recent education-focused votes by the Board of Alders.

The Elicker Administration hopes to enlist enough volunteer tutors to serve 1,500

Both of those votes took place Tuesday night during the latest bimonthly full Board of Alders meeting, which was held in

Now that the plan has been approved, city Communications Director Lenny Speiller said the administration’s next step is to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for at least one organization to administer the tutoring program. Speiller said the RFP will likely go out in early March.

“We need a leader that will attend the meetings of the MARB.” Mullins said. Republican Paige Weinstein is the only other candidate for Mayor to file candidacy paperwork. Former Mayor Edward O’BRIEN filed papers for an explanation committee. Rossi has yet to announce her intentions to run for a fourth term.

CANNABIS

FOR

• Cannabis products should be out of sight and out of reach.

Visit BeInTheKnowCT.org C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Cannabis_Ad_InnerCityNews_StoreItLocked_FINAL.pdf 2 2/22/23 3:05 PM

• Never leave any cannabis products out where they can be accidentally ingested.

HUSKY

Health, SNAP, and Cash Recipients!

To keep your cash, food, or medical benefits active, we need your most up-to-date mailing address and phone number to make sure you get important information from Access Health CT and the Connecticut Department of Social Services.