Teachers, district agree on state funding

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT-MESA -- Teachers triumphed in one battle at the negotiation table

with the district Tuesday, but both sides agreed to take a break before

continuing salary talks.

The Newport-Mesa Federation of Teachers and district officials signed an

agreement Tuesday to participate in two state programs that will give

them nearly $600,000 in state dollars.

The first program will provide $190,000 to raise salaries for beginning

teachers in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District from $30,163 to

$33,100 -- just below the county average of $33,347. The program will be

retroactive, paying new teachers for the last year of instruction, said

Linda Mook, president of the federation.

Teacher and district negotiation teams also agreed to begin the peer

assistance and review program, which was proposed by Gov. Gray Davis. The

peer program will cost about $400,000 to start up, Mook said. It will

replace the defunct teacher mentor program.

Under the new program, teachers have peer partners who help when

instructors change grade levels, return from a leave of absence,

implement new strategies or any other number of needs, Mook said.

“We’ve been working all year on the peer assistance and review program,”

said Lori McCune, the district’s assistant superintendent of human

resources. “We strongly believe it will be good for teachers and good for

kids. We went ahead and signed it so we wouldn’t lose out on it.”

To be eligible for both programs, the teachers and the district were

required to reach an agreement by Friday. Otherwise, the district would

have lost out on the state funds.

With that deadline met, negotiators will take a break through July --

while the state budget is finalized and the district closes its books

June 30 to begin the new fiscal year.

“Then we’ll be looking at real money to get real raises,” Mook said.

“We’re always happy when the board talks about how important teachers are

to the district, but we’re looking for a salary increase across the board

after two years of not having one.”