Teacher Salary Information
The Seattle Times' latest story on the strike provides some real numbers on the salary offer for teachers and I hope they illuminate the issue.
SEA
- Wants 5% raise this school year
- 5.5% 2016-2017
- 4.8% over the next two years from state (remembering that the state-funded amount is about 75% of teachers' salaries) for a COLA
( I can't seem to find what the SEA wants for 2017-2018; I think it's about 3.5%.)
District
- 2% this school year
- 3.2% the year after
- 4% in 2017-2018
- plus state COLA
Teachers did not get a COLA for the last 6 years even though there was an 2000 initiative requiring the Legislature to do that.
They also lost ground over the rising costs of healthcare.
From KUOW:
And it does come down to the district. The state didn’t raise its base pay – stuck at $34,048 for a starting teacher – for six years. The state finally raised the base pay by 2 percent this summer.
So teachers bargain with their districts for raises and money on top of the base. They would be doing this even if the state did raise its base, Wood said, which means salaries have increased at a sluggish pace.
That extra money is usually called TRI pay, for time, responsibility and incentive. Some districts give teachers that extra money without strings attached. Others demand that teachers work or take classes during the summer to earn that extra amount. Unions call that “more pay for more work."
SEA
- Wants 5% raise this school year
- 5.5% 2016-2017
- 4.8% over the next two years from state (remembering that the state-funded amount is about 75% of teachers' salaries) for a COLA
( I can't seem to find what the SEA wants for 2017-2018; I think it's about 3.5%.)
District
- 2% this school year
- 3.2% the year after
- 4% in 2017-2018
- plus state COLA
Teachers did not get a COLA for the last 6 years even though there was an 2000 initiative requiring the Legislature to do that.
They also lost ground over the rising costs of healthcare.
From KUOW:
And it does come down to the district. The state didn’t raise its base pay – stuck at $34,048 for a starting teacher – for six years. The state finally raised the base pay by 2 percent this summer.
So teachers bargain with their districts for raises and money on top of the base. They would be doing this even if the state did raise its base, Wood said, which means salaries have increased at a sluggish pace.
That extra money is usually called TRI pay, for time, responsibility and incentive. Some districts give teachers that extra money without strings attached. Others demand that teachers work or take classes during the summer to earn that extra amount. Unions call that “more pay for more work."
Comments
Total Pay would look something like this
Base Pay (from the State of Washington) + TRI (from the District and local levy funds) = Total pay
According to the article, 75% is Base Pay and 25% is TRI. So the TOTAL INCREASE would look something like this.
State Cola * Base Pay + % Increase * TRI
So the COLA and Base Pay are fixed from the State and this will be the only COLA over an EIGHT year period. That is less than a 4% increase over an 8 years time period.
2015 - 3% * 75% = 2.25%
2016 - 1.8% * 75% = 1.35%
If I understand correctly, the negotiations are over the TRI increase. SPS's offer is
2015 - 2% * 25% = .5%
2016 - 3.2% * 25% = .8%
That would means that SPS's offer is a change to Total Pay of 2.75% in 2015 and 2.15% in 2016.
That is unless SPS offer is actually for an increase in the Total Pay. Does anyone know if the stated amount applies to TRI only?
2015 - 5% * 25% = 1.25%
2016 - 5.5% * 25% = 1.375%
That would means that SEA's offer is a change to Total Pay of 3.5% in 2015 and 2.725% in 2016.
Everything is figured on base pay. The state COLA is a % of the base pay on the teacher state pay scale. The tri pay being bargained right now between SPS and SEA is a % of base pay on the teacher state pay scale. It's confusing because some published raise negotiating figures include the COLA and some don't. Guess who does and who doesn't :) It makes it challenging to figure out the amount of money because we're really talking about increases based on 75% of teacher salary.
Helps?
The negotiations are not about TRI, they are about base pay that will then be added to TRI.
LAP
How is TRI calculated?
Helps?
Helps?
So if you were trying to figure out the percent change to people take home pay, which is what people who read the press releases will naturally assume. The math looks more like this.
State Cola * Base Pay + % Increase * Base Pay + TRI = TOTAL PAY
As the Base Pay is currently only 75% of the total pay, SPS / SEA are negotiating over the Levy funds/additional State Funds. SPS is offering an additional 1.5% in 2015 and 2.4% in 2016 which will then show in TRI.
The State COLA clearly does not even belong in the conversation as the COLA is not even .5% per year over 8 years, which is significantly less than the COLA for federal employees or Social Security payment.s
My understanding is that the SEA's latest offer was for a two-year contract, with 5.0% the first year and 5.5% the second year.
As South Whidbey EA just settled on a 5% increase in each of the next two years, I'd say the SEA's proposal is very reasonable. I don't want the SEA to come down much from 10.5% over two years. Why should our increase be less than South Whidbey's? Isn't it more expensive to live in Seattle?
David Edelman
Strike Update 3
-sleeper
SPS and SEA have ZERO control over the state COLA so IMHO, it should be dropped from the conversation.
The remaining negotiation is over a percentage of salary. In other words, they negotiation is over the 75% base salary, not the total salary so using whole percentage is really misleading.
Reasonable people think a 5% raise would look like $2500 on a $50,000 salary. However, the 5% raise is only on $37,500 (75%) and would therefore be a raise of $1875 (3.75%)
The raise of $1875, $1125 has already been allocated by the State of Washington and the remaining $750 would be coming from Levy funds or discretionary funds.
All this math, makes it clear to me that BOTH, the SEA ask is very reasonable and that SPS can pay for it.
I also think people want to know if this is fair compensation. I only object to the way COLA is being discussed as if it is this huge raise when that is not the full story, particularly as the COLA is only being applied to a portion of the salary and all of the SPS communication reads as if it was being applied to the entire salary.
For the last six years, COLA would have been about 13%, depending on which index you use (that is another debate). So if SPS has off-set that 13%, at different points in the last few years, then that off-set should be clearly daylighted and marked to the 13% that the State did not include.
The State authorized 4.8% going forward for two years, but remember that is 4.8% based on 75% the actual total pay for a net increase of 3.6% in the next two years which is pretty close to what the expected increase in cost of living for the two years going forward.
This whole thing makes it very clear that education funding is a big mess.
I'm not following your math. Yes, I understand the increase is on Base only.
My confusion is why you are using 5%. For this year, 2015-2016, the union is asking for 5% (1875). The district is offering 2% ($750).
SEA is asking for a 5% increase in Base pay, exclusive of the COLA.
This is very confusing, and I think it would be very helpful if SEA would give some examples.
LAP
I am not sure you have it right with your example of a teacher making $50,000. In this example- $37,500 of their salary comes from the state and $12,500 would come in the form of TRI from SPS. (Generally speaking in Seattle 75% of salary is state base and 25% is TRI)
With a 3% COLA raise and a 5% TRI raise this is what would happen with a $50,000 salary.
$37,500 (75% of state base pay) X 3% = $1,125 COLA increase
$37,500 + (COLA) $1,125 = $38,625 new base pay
(I assume, not sure, that SEA/SPS negotiated raise is on the new base pay. Don't know for sure.)
$38,625.00 X 5% (SEA/SPS negotiated raise)= $1,931 SEA/SPS negotiated raise
12,500 (Current TRI)+ $1,931 (SEA/SPS negotiated raise)= $14,431 new TRI pay
Total salary=
$38,625 (new base pay) + $14,431 (new TRI pay) = $53,056
The total raise for the year would be $3,056.
Helps?
It would also be very helpful to show the math with what the total "raise" would be using the SPS offered numbers (2%)
$3056 is about $254/month (12 months).
The district offer comes out to be about $158/month.
LAP
Here you go. The example above is for the SEA proposed 5% raise. This is the math for the SPS proposal for a 2% raise for the same teacher making $50,000/yr.
The assumptions are the same. Generally speaking in Seattle, 75% of a teacher's salary comes from the state, 25% comes from the district through TRI pay. That means $37,500 of their salary comes from the state and $12,500 would come in the form of TRI from SPS.
With a 3% COLA raise and a 2% TRI raise this is what would happen with a $50,000 salary.
$37,500 (75% of state base pay) X 3% = $1,125 COLA increase
$37,500 + (COLA) $1,125 = $38,625 new base pay
(I assume, not sure, that SEA/SPS negotiated raise is on the new base pay. Don't know for sure.)
$38,625.00 X 2% (SPS proposed raise)= $772 SPS proposed raise
12,500 (Current TRI)+ $772 (SPS proposed raise)= $13,272 new TRI pay
Total salary=
$38,625 (new base pay) + $13,327 (new TRI pay) = $51,897
The total raise for the year would be $1,897.
Helps?
I think you just validated my math.
However, all of this makes it very clear, that without concrete examples of the specific math being used to calculate the percentages on both sides that all of the percentages is just guess work and PR wordsmithing, or lie, damn lies and statistics.
The 5% I was referencing was the 5% "raise" that SPS is claiming in their offer, which is 3% cola and 2% negotiated increase.
My understanding is all of this is calculated off of the current base and none of the options are being calculated on the NEW base after the cola increase. That would change your example by $56
SPS is definitely winning the PR wordsmithing game because the way they are wording the press releases makes their offer look substantially more generous in principle than it will be in execution.
The SPS proposal looks like a $2500 increase on a $50,000 year salary for a total of $52,500. However, it is not really that it is actually only $51,875.
The SEA proposal looks like 5% on top of the 3% cola. That math sounds like an 8% raise or $54,000. The math then pencils out to $53,056 as you stated. However, the SEA ask really nets out to $53,000 when you apply the raise to the base only.
There is enough variation in all of this that it would be very good on both sides to start using some real world examples.
"With a 3% COLA raise and a 5% TRI raise this is what would happen with a $50,000 salary:
$37,500 (75% of state base pay) X 3% = $1,125 COLA increase
$37,500 + (COLA) $1,125 = $38,625 new base pay
(I assume, not sure, that SEA/SPS negotiated raise is on the new base pay. Don't know for sure.)
$38,625.00 X 5% (SEA/SPS negotiated raise)= $1,931 SEA/SPS negotiated raise
12,500 (Current TRI)+ $1,931 (SEA/SPS negotiated raise)= $14,431 new TRI pay
Total salary=
$38,625 (new base pay) + $14,431 (new TRI pay) = $53,056
The total raise for the year would be $3,056."
However, I would throw in one more monkey wrench, which is that the district proposal says that the 3.2% they propose would be calculated on "2016-2017 regular salary schedule
base salary (BA only/Step 1)." I take that to mean that the actual amount of added pay would be the same for everyone regardless of education/experience (i.e. based on Step 1 of the salary schedule (somewhere in the mid-30s, depending on whether or not the COLA gets added, not on the step someone happens to be on). Can anyone confirm or deny?
As confusing as the district's information appears, I am incredibly frustrated by SEA's lack of specificity and transparency on this, to say nothing of their dithering about the COLA ("We haven't gotten it in 6 years!" "It isn't part of the conversation!"). If they are proposing 5% (or 6% if you trust the proposal on the SPS website is the most recent) on everyone's actual base salary (not Step 1, as the district is seeming to offer), then that is a major difference. I support the strike, but I hate feeling misled by any party.
SPS alum and mom
Helps?
I copied below what Garfield Mom posted on another thread. I assumed when they talk about adding 2.0 % to the corresponding TRI cell that it meant you were using the same base salary cell to calculate the %. If all steps are only calculated from a BA only/Step 1 base salary that is truly depressing! Don't you think it is ridiculous that we are working this hard to figure it out!
FROM Garfield Mom
The Time Responsibility and Incentive Salary Schedule and Index is found in Appendix A and B. Effective September 1, 2015, the TRI increase for the 2015-2016 school year will be an across the board amount of 2.0 percent. This is calculated by adding 2.0 percent of the 2015-2016 regular salary schedule base salary (BA only/Step 1) to the the corresponding cell of TRI Responsibility Contract schedule. This new amount will then be applied to the TRI index found in Appendix B to generate the 2015-2016 TRI Salary Schedule.
f. Effective September 1, 2016, the annual TRI increase will be an additional across the board amount of [2.5] 3.2 percent. This is calculated by adding [2.5] 3.2 percent of the 2016-2017 regular salary schedule base salary (BA only/Step 1) the corresponding cell of TRI Responsibility Contract schedule. This new amount will then be applied to the TRI index found in Appendix B to generate the 2016-2017 TRI Salary Schedule.
g. Effective September 1, 2017, the annual TRI increase will be an additional across the board amount of [2.5] 3.75 percent. This is calculated by adding 2.53.75 percent of the 2017-18 regular salary schedule base salary (BA only/Step 1) to the the corresponding cell of TRI Responsibility Contract schedule. This new amount will then be applied to the TRI index found in Appendix B to generate the 2016-17 TRI Salary Schedule.
Helps?
Now, what is the base salary, step 1? If that is what the negotiations are based on for all 5000 teachets, the math becomes easier and the totals lower.
"This is calculated by adding 2.0 percent of the 2015-2016 regular salary schedule base salary (BA only/Step 1) to the the corresponding cell of TRI Responsibility Contract schedule."
So this reads like the percent increase is not applied to the base pay but rather a specific dollar amount tied to BA only, step one, which is currently $34,048.
If that is correct, then we are talking about $680.96 raise per person at the 2% level and $1702.40 raise per person at the 5% level.
If that is correct, then there is no reason why anyone should be talking about a percent increase because a fixed dollar amount does not translate into a percentage for each teacher, it is a whole-dollar amount.
Is there anyone who can get someone at the union to clarify this amount.
If you want to work on this together, I'll email Melissa and she can pass my email address on to you. Would be good to have someone else look at what I'm doing before I start posting it.
Striking teacher
:)
I used the CBA from 2013-2015, which has the salary schedules and raise amounts in it, to check that my formula is correct. The salary increases being discussed (as shown in SPS proposals on their website) call for the following:
TRI pay increases are calculated according to this formula: (Base salary x proposed percent increase x TRI contract index figure) + existing TRI pay. The base salary x percent increase is figured on the lowest step (BA/Step 1), then multiplied by the index figure, then added to existing TRI. Base salary includes COLA increases, if any. The TRI Contract Index is part of the CBA. I used the one from the just expired CBA; I see no reason why this would have changed.
I'll give bottom line percentages first, then specific examples from the tables. I've only done this for certificated positions as that's the info most readily available.
SPS Proposals - three year contract
2% year 1, 3.2% year 2, 4% year 3.
This equates to a bottom line increase of 3.88% on total compensation in year 1, 3.85% in year 2, and 2.99% in year 3, with a total increase of 7.88% between 2014-15 and 2015-16, and 11.1% between 2014-15 and 2017-18.
Note that there is no decision on COLA yet for year 3. A COLA increase would increase SPS bottom line numbers in year 3.
SEA Proposals - two year contract
5% year 1, 5.5% year 2
This equates to a bottom line increase of 6.25% in year 1, and 5.5% in year 2, with a total increase of 12.1% between 2014-2015 and 2016/17.
I'm not sure trying to do this in table form will work but here goes.
* Percent increase of proposals for each year relative to previous year, and for each year relative to 2014/15 salary *
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 1st yr cumul. 2nd yr cumul. 3rd yr cumul.
SPS 3.88% 3.85% 2.99% 3.88% 7.88% 11.1%
SEA 6.25% 5.5% n/a 6.25% 12.1% n/a
SPS claims raises will be 5%, 5%, and 4%. This is patently false. These are not their actual proposed numbers; they just took COLA and added it to their numbers. That isn't how you do it, and they should know that. Either they are bad at math, or they are lying. They claim they are offering a total increase of 14% over the course of a three year contract (5%+5%+14%). Again: bad at math, or lying.
SEA pegs their raises at 5% and 5.5%. Those are accurate as far as being the percentages that would be applied in the above formula. They do not claim COLA as part of their numbers. The actual for year 1 is higher than their proposed number, because of COLA, while the second number is accurate. However, they claim they are proposing a total increase of 10.5% over two years (5%+5.5%). Again, not how you do it. Bad at math, or lying.
I'll leave it to individuals to weigh for themselves who is bad at math, and who is lying.
Specific examples in my next post.
I'll use the same parameters as the Seattle Times did here Pay Varies for Teachers
These are PROJECTIONS based on the existing salary schedules, the formulas for calculating salary, and the proposed increases from each side in the negotiation.
Base salary is set by the state, and includes COLAs if there are any. TRI is set by the CBA, and is paid by SPS. Total is base + TRI.
First year teacher: BA
Current base: $34,048
Current TRI: $10,324
Current total: $44,372
First year teacher, SPS Year 1 proposal
Base: $35,069
TRI: $11,025
Total: 46,094
First year teacher, SEA Year 1 proposal
Base: $35,069
TRI: $12,077
Total: $47,146
First year teacher, SPS Year 2 proposal
Base: $35,701
TRI: $12,167
Total: $47,868
First year teacher, SEA Year 2 proposal
Base: $35,701
TRI: $14,040
Total: $49,741
First year teacher, SPS Year 3 proposal
Base: $35,701
TRI: $13,595
Total: $49,296
First year teacher, SEA Year 3 proposal
N/A (SEA proposes 2 year contract)
Mid-career teacher: 8th year, BA+90
Current base: $44,790
Current TRI: $14,654
Current Total: $59,444
Mid-career teacher, SPS Year 1 proposal
Base: $46,134
TRI: $15,657
Total: $61,791
Mid-career teacher, SEA Year 1 proposal
Base: $46,134
TRI: $17,162
Total: $63,295
Mid-career teacher, SPS Year 2 proposal
Base: $46,964
TRI: $17,291
Total: $64,255
Mid-career teacher, SEA Year 2 proposal
Base: $46,964
TRI: $19,970
Total: $66,934
Mid-career teacher, SPS Year 3 proposal
Base: $46,964
TRI: $19,333
Total: $66,297
Mid-career teacher, SEA Year 3 proposal
N/A (SEA proposes 2 year contract)
Veteran teacher: 15th year, BA+135 or MA+45
Current Base: $60,661
Current TRI: $19,127
Current Total: $79,788
Veteran teacher, SPS Year 1 proposal
Base: $62,481
TRI: $20,432
Total: $82,913
Veteran teacher, SEA Year 1 proposal
Base: $62,481
TRI: $22,389
Total: $84,870
Veteran teacher, SPS Year 2 proposal
Base: $63,605
TRI: $22,557
Total: $86,162
Veteran teacher, SEA Year 2 proposal
Base: $63,605
TRI: $26,041
Total: $89,646
Veteran teacher, SPS Year 3 proposal
Base: $63,605
TRI: $25,213
Total: $88,818
Veteran teacher, SEA Year 3 proposal
N/A (SEA proposes 2 year contract)