NEA/SC DRAFT UNIT C language

Memorandum of Agreement

Needham Public Schools/Needham Education Association

Unit A Contract 2023-2026

May 30, 2023

The Needham School Committee and Needham Education Association agree to a new Unit C Collective

Bargaining Agreement with the following provisions:

Article and

Section

FY20-23 Contract Language:

FY24-26 Contract Language:

Article 1,

Section 1

The Committee recognizes the Needham Education

Association as the exclusive bargaining agent of all

full-time and regular part-time instructional assistants,

tutors, METCO assistants, program assistants, special

education program assistants, certified occupational

therapy assistants, speech language assistants, and

teaching assistants, excluding school office assistants

and all managerial, confidential, and casual employees,

and all other school employees.

The Committee recognizes the Needham Education

Association as the exclusive bargaining agent of all

full-time and regular part-time:

● Instructional Assistants, including:

○ General Education Teaching Assistants

○ Kindergarten Teaching Assistants

○ Special Education Teaching Assistants

○ Library Support Assistants

○ Media Support Assistants

○ 504 Assistants

● Intensive Special Education Teaching

Assistants

● Non-Credentialed Program Specialists:

○ Science Center Program Specialists

○ DaVinci Program Specialists

● Credentialed Paraprofessionals, including:

○ Special Education Program Specialists

○ Certified Occupational Therapy

Assistants (COTAs)

○ Physical Therapy Assistants (PTAs)

○ Speech Language Pathology Assistants

(SLPAs)

○ Board Certified Assistant Behavior

Analysts (BCaBAs)

○ Certified American Sign Language

(ASL) Interpreters

excluding school office assistants and all managerial,

confidential, and casual employees, and all other school

employees.

Article 7,

Section 6

By June 30, 2021, a committee of three (3) NEA

members and three (3) administrators will convene to

revise and update the evaluation tool for Unit C. Once

completed, the tool will be used for FY22 and FY23.

No later than January 30, 2023, the School Committee

and NEA team will meet to review the committee’s

By June 30, 2024, a committee of three (3) NEA

members and three (3) administrators will convene to

revise and update the evaluation tool for Unit C. Once

completed, the tool will be used for FY25 and FY26.

No later than January 30, 2026, the School Committee

and NEA team will meet to review the committee’s

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work and determine the new tool’s efficacy for

ratification in the following contract.

work and determine the new tool’s efficacy for

ratification in the following contract.

Article 9,

Section 1

Part-time employees working less than twenty hours per

week are not entitled to paid sick leave

Remove.

Article 11,

Section 6

The Sick Leave Bank shall be administered by a Sick

Leave Bank Committee consisting of five (5) members.

Two (2) members shall be designated by the School

Committee to serve at its

discretion, and two (2) members shall be designated by

the Association. The fifth member shall be selected by

the NEA or NSC on an alternating basis and shall vote

only to break ties. For the 2020-2021 year, the NSC will

choose the fifth person whereas in 2021-2022, the

choice will be that of the NEA. The NSC will choose

the fifth person in the 2022-2023 school year.

The Sick Leave Bank shall be administered by a Sick

Leave Bank Committee consisting of five (5) members.

Two (2) members shall be designated by the School

Committee to serve at its discretion, and two (2)

members shall be designated by the Association. The

fifth member shall be selected by the NEA or NSC on

an alternating basis and shall vote only to break ties. For

the 2023-2024 year, the NEA will choose the fifth

person whereas in 2024-2025, the choice will be that of

the NSC. The NEA will choose the fifth person in the

2025-2026 school year.

Article 12,

Section 1

Section 1 - Full-Time Employees (32.5 hours per week

or more) Full-time employees will receive longevity

payments as follows:

After 5 years $450

After 10 years $650

After 15 years $900

After 20 years $1150

Section 1 - Full-Time Employees (32.5 hours per week

or more) Full-time employees will receive longevity

payments as follows:

After 5 years $600

After 10 years $800

After 15 years $1200

After 20 years $1650

Article 13

The following holidays shall be recognized as paid

holidays when these holidays fall within the employees’

regular work year. Employees who are out of work on

unpaid absence either the workday immediately before

or immediately after the holiday are not eligible for

holiday pay.

Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day

after Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day,

Martin Luther King Day, President’s Day, Patriot’s Day,

and Memorial Day

Beginning in 2018-2019 school year, in any year in

which staff are required to report to work prior to

Labor Day, Unit C employees will be paid for the

holiday of Labor Day

Effective in the 2023-2024 school year, members will

have equalized pay checks (Article 24).

Article 14

Section 1

Vacation days are earned on the day the vacation is

assigned as articulated in Section 2. One (1) day is equal

to one-fifth (2) of the employee’s regularly-scheduled

workweek.

Section 2

Each employee scheduled for twenty hours or more per

Effective in the 2023-2024 school year, members will

have equalized pay checks (Article 24).

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week will be paid a total of 9.5 vacation days in the

2020-2021 school year, 10 vacation days in the

subsequent years. All vacation days must be taken

during designated school vacation weeks. For the

2020-2021

school year, 4 vacation days will be paid in December, 3

vacation days during the February vacation and 2.5

vacation days during the April vacation week. Beginning

in the 2021-2022 school year, 4 vacation days will be

paid in December, 3 vacation days during the February

vacation and 3 vacation days during the April vacation

week. "Days" are equal to one-fifth (1/5) of the

employee's regularly-scheduled workweek.

Article 15,

Section 1

See * below

See ** below

Article 15,

Section 2

The work year for employees in Categories 1, 2, 3a, 5

and 6 shall be 183 paid days; Category 3b,191 paid days;

and Category 4, 193 paid days including the day before

school opens and one professional day. Specific hours

for these positions are detailed in the salary scales on

pages 23-25.

Replace this section in its entirety with the following:

A. Effective July 1, 2023, the base work year for

bargaining unit members shall be 183 work days

(the “teacher work year”) including the two days

before school opens and one professional day.

B. Unit C members' school break schedule will follow

the district calendar.

C. Members working in the Media Centers are entitled

to work up to 8 additional per diem days annually at

their regularly scheduled number of hours per day.

Members working in the Science Center are entitled

to work up to 10 additional per diem days annually

at their regularly scheduled number of hours per

day.

D. Effective July 1, 2023, newly hired employees

covered under this Agreement shall receive up to

one (1) full-day of paid, job specific

pre-employment training prior to the opening day

of the school year. In the event an employee is

hired after the beginning of the school year, they

will be required to attend the paid pre-employment

training prior to the following school year.

Subsequent training shall be paid according to this

section or Article 18.

E. Whenever school is canceled because of snow,

inclement weather or other emergency situations,

such time will be made up and worked by all Unit C

members, based on the school calendar. If school is

closed early or has a delayed start, Unit C members

are expected to work the modified schedule for that

day. If members are dismissed early or asked to

delay their start time, they will be paid for their

regular hours.

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Article 15,

Section 5

While every effort will be made to find substitute

coverage for classrooms without using classroom

assistants, if K-5 teaching assistants are required to

substitute teach a classroom they

will be paid $35.00 for a full day and $17.50 for a

half-day. This will be effective in the 2017-2018 school

year, beginning on January 1 of each fiscal year.

While every effort will be made to find substitute

coverage for classrooms without using classroom

assistants, if K-5 teaching assistants are required to

substitute teach a classroom they will be paid $35.00 for

a full day and $17.50 for a half-day. This will be

effective in the 2017-2018 school year, beginning on

January 1 of each fiscal year. Effective in the 2023-2024

school year, the annual effective date of the coverage

payment shall be the first day of the student year.

Unit C members covering teacher absences of more

than twenty consecutive days in the same classroom

shall be paid at the higher of their cur rent rate of pay or

the long-term substitute teacher rates, as established by

the District.

Article 15,

Section 9

The NEA will meet with the Superintendent twice a

year to discuss minimizing the use of teaching assistants

to cover classrooms in the absence of the regular

teacher or substitute. The first meeting will occur before

November 1, 2008 to discuss the issue and plans to

address it. A second meeting will be held before May 1,

2009 to discuss data for the current year. Meetings will

be held In the fall and spring each year thereafter.

Strike Article 15, Section 9

Article 15,

Section 11

The Committee may require all teaching assistants to

work up to three (3) extra days for the purpose of

professional development. In the event a teaching

assistant will be required to work, the committee will

give such teaching assistant notice other than newly

hired teaching assistants no later than January 15 of each

year. A teaching assistant working extra days will receive

his or her hourly rate as assigned in that fiscal year.

Absences will be excused only in a case of unforeseeable

circumstances which create unreasonable hardship.

The Committee may require members to work up to

three (3) extra days for the purpose of professional

development. In the event a member will be required to

work, the committee will give such member notice

other than newly hired members no later than January

15 of each year. A member working extra days will

receive his or her hourly rate as assigned in that fiscal

year. Absences will be excused only in a case of

unforeseeable circumstances which create unreasonable

hardship.

Article 18,

Add Section 4

Effective July 1, 2025, the School Committee agrees

to fund an annual tuition reimbursement account for

approved courses of $10,000. Content of all coursework

shall be within the parameters of the requirements for

state licensure, degree completion, or job-related

certification/advancement/skill development.

Reimbursement of each member’s first approved course

shall be fulfilled up to $500. After members’ first

courses are reimbursed, any money that remains in the

tuition reimbursement account shall be applied to those

members seeking reimbursement for additional

approved courses in subsequent rounds of $500 per

approved course until funds are exhausted. No member

shall be reimbursed for more than three (3) approved

courses in any one fiscal year unless a balance remains

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in the tuition reimbursement account.

The appropriate pre-approval for m is available from

school/department offices or from the Human

Resources Office and shall be submitted prior to the

course start date. Documentation of payment(s) and

course transcript(s) (when applicable) should be

attached to the reimbursement application and sent as a

complete package to the Human Resources Office.

Reimbursement will be made after all appropriate

documentation is received and reviewed. The deadline

to submit completed reimbursement applications will

be June 25of each year. Failure to submit by this

deadline will result in forfeit of reimbursement.

Reimbursement checks will be sent no later than the

date of the last paycheck in September.

If the amount of money requested exceeds the funds

available or in the event there are excess monies, a

Tuition Reimbursement Committee consisting of the

Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and

two Needham Education Association designees will

determine how to disburse the funds equitably among

all the applicants.

Article 24,

Add new

Section

Equalized Pay

(and

Renumber

Succeeding)

Effective July 1, 2023, 10-month Unit C members

working greater than twenty (20) hours per week will

receive compensation for their base wages (for 183

days) in 42 equal pay checks, from September – June,

paid on a weekly basis. This equalized pay will be based

on the employee’s regularly scheduled number of work

hours over 183 days. All members will submit regular

timesheets. An employee working more or less than the

scheduled number of hours during a pay period shall

have their pay for that period adjusted accordingly.

Employees who separate from their position before the

end of the school year shall have their pay adjusted in

their final paycheck according to the time worked.

Employees who are entitled to be paid for additional

per diem days under Article 15.2 shall be paid for those

per diem days on a supplemental basis in the applicable

pay period(s) for which the additional time is reported.

Article 25,

Section 1

Salaries for bargaining unit members shall be increased

as follows.

The salaries for all categories and steps shall be

increased by .5% on July 1, 2020.

The salaries for all categories and steps shall be

increased by .75% on July 1, 2021.

A. Effective in the 2023-2024 school year, adopt the

salary schedules below, prior to implementation of

any cost-of-living adjustment. The salary

schedules include the addition of a new 2% top

step 7 for the ASA and ASB classifications,

effective in the 2025-2026 school year. See ***.

B. Immediately upon implementation a 2% COLA

shall be applied to the FY24 scale, to create the

following salary schedule below:****

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The salaries for all categories and steps shall be

increased by .75%; on July 1, 2022.

In addition the attached salary scales include the

following adjustments:

Step 1 will be deleted from all salary schedules in effect

prior to July 1, 2020 and the

steps will be renumbered 1-6.

The salaries for Step 6 (on the revised schedules) of all

categ ories will be increased by $0.15 effective July 1,

2020.

C. All employees shall be moved to the new salary

scale as follows:

a. The following Unit C members shall

be moved to the Instructional

Assistant classification (“new ASA”)

i. General Education Teaching

Assistants

ii. Special Education Teaching

Assistants

iii. Kindergarten Assistants

iv. Media Support Assistants

v. Library Support Assistants

vi. ELL Assistants

vii. 504 Teaching Assistants

b. The following Unit C members shall

be placed in the Specialized

Intensive Program Assistant

classification (“new ASB”):

i. Unit C members assigned to

the District’s Intensive

Learning Center (ILC)

Prog rams (Elementary and

Middle ILC, NHS

Post-Graduate Program,

Preschool Specialized

Prog ram).

ii. Unit C members who provide

one-on-one support for

students with complex

learning profiles, including

behavioral and/or physical

challenges associated with the

prog rams listed above.

iii. Prog ram Specialists hired on

or after July 1, 2023 whose

primary assignment does not

require them to possess a

specific certification or

credential to carry out the

duties of that assignment.

These positions include, but

are not limited to new

DaVinci, Science Center and

uncredentialed Prog ram

Specialists.

c. The following Unit C members whose

primary assignment requires them to

possess a specific certification or

credential to carry out the duties of

that assignment shall be placed in the

Credentialed Paraprofessional

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classification (“new ASC”), including

but not limited to:

i. Special Education Program

Specialists (Credentialed)

ii. Certified Occupational

Therapy Assistants (COTAs)

iii. Physical Therapy Assistants

(PTAs)

iv. Speech Language Pathology

Assistants (SLPAs)

d. Unit C Program Specialists hired

before July 1, 2023, whose primary

assignment does not require them to

possess a specific certification or

credential to carry out the duties of

that assignment including Media

Prog ram Specialists, Library Program

Specialists, and DaVinci Program

Specialists will be g randfathered at

their current rates and shall be placed

on “new ASD.”

e. Unit C Science Center Program

Specialists hired before July 1, 2023

shall be placed on “new ASE.”

D. All members hired before July 1, 2023 shall be

placed on the next step to which they would have

been entitled on the appropriate classification of

the new scale. Members hired on or after July 1

will be placed at the appropriate step of the new

scale, commensurate with education and

experience.

E. All members hired before July 1, 2023 shall be

held harmless, should placement on the new scale

result in an annual salary that is less than they

would have earned under the old scale (“status

quo” wage), or relative to the prior year (before

application of the subsequent year cost of living

adjustment). Effective July 1, 2023, the hold

harmless payment shall take the form of a

supplemental payment (where required). This hold

harmless payment shall continue for the duration

of the member’s employment with the Needham

Public Schools in the applicable Unit C position,

and shall be escalated by the annual cost of living

adjustment granted to Unit C members.

F. The aforementioned job classifications are subject

to change, based on the duration and nature of the

work being performed. If the Assistant

Superintendent for Human Resources or designee

determines that an employee assigned to the

Instructional Assistant classification is providing

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services that are more closely aligned to the

Specialized Intensive Program classification for

more than ten (10) consecutive days, then the

employee will be reclassified for the duration of

their assignment starting on day eleven (11).

Similarly, if an employee assigned to the

Specialized Intensive Program classification is

determined to be providing services more closely

aligned to the Instructional Assistant classification

for more than ten (10) consecutive days, then the

employee shall be reclassified for the duration of

their assignment, starting on day eleven (11).

Disputes regarding assignments and

reclassifications will be subject of the grievance

process (Article 5).

G. Effective July 1, 2024, a 2% COLA shall be

applied to the aforementioned scale to create the

following salary schedule below:*****

H. Effective July 1, 2025, a 2% COLA shall be

applied to the prior year salary scale.******

Article 24,

Add Section 6

Does not currently exist.

Effective July 1, 2023 and terminating as a benefit on

June 30, 2026, Unit C members may receive a $300

refer ral bonus for referring a prospective Unit C

candidate to the Needham Public Schools. The bonus

shall be paid out only upon successful hire into a Unit C

position.

The workday for Unit C members is as follows:

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***

****

*****

******

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Needham Education Association Negotiating

Team:

_______________________________

Michael Hirsh Date

_______________________________

Marcy Spink

_______________________________

Brittish Miser

_______________________________

Emily Garron

_______________________________

Meghan Stamm

_______________________________

Jacquelyn Hall

_______________________________

Jack Gately

Needham School Committee

Negotiation Team:

_______________________________

Connie Barr Date

_______________________________

Andrea Longo Carter

_______________________________

Alisa Skatrud

_______________________________

Alexandra Montes McNeil

_______________________________

Anne Gulati

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