Advocacy How has the association’s involvement in this process improved your profession and work environment? Brian: Now, I am on the evaluation committee. I wanted to be on the committee because it is super important. This is the most important thing happening in public education right now and this is an opportunity to have a positive impact on the final product, the final evaluation tool. I wasn’t happy voicing my concerns through a third party to bring up at a meeting. I wanted a seat at the table. We can really use this committee to give teachers a voice. We have reps in every school almost 80 percent of folks on the committee are members. Nicole: I believe the association is on the right track. The association is now more involved, more assertive and making sure the members’ voices are heard as they work through the process. I think the association is in a good place going forward. From where we started when we first started meeting, and the concerns where members thought the association wasn’t speaking up for them, teachers who may not have been familiar with what the association did before now know. They are looped in to the fact that the association knows what’s going on and that they just don’t grieve things. I think we’re heading in the right direction to help all members improve their daily work which helps students in the long run.
$alary Round Up Average Starting Pay for Teachers and Number of Locals Starting at or Above $40,000 as of 2012-2013
Maine $31,835 2 - $40k Locals
VT $35,542
23 - $40k Locals
NoRTHEAST REGIoN 1,327 of 2,428 loCals start abovE $40K avEragE starting salary: $39,791 sourCE: nEa CollECtivE bargaining and MEMbEr advoCaCy, 2012-2013
NH $34,280
MA $40,600
NY $43,839 206 - $40k Locals
166 - $40k Locals
RI $39,196
PA $41,902 191 - $40k Locals
14 - $40k Locals
CT $42,294
134 - $40k Locals
NJ $48,631
588 - $40k Locals
Statewide average starting hourly wages by classification as bargained in 2013-14 local Association contracts: Custodian: $12.55 Cook: $11.26 bus driver: $14.13 secretary: $12.69
Ed tech i: $11.20 Ed tech ii: $12.41 Ed tech iii: $13.69 Map of United States of America with States Multicolor by FreeVectorMaps.com
September 2014 • www.maineea.org
13
