OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE
RESEARCH
March 10, 2003
2003-R-0237
TEACHER
EMPLOYMENT ISSUES
By: Judith Lohman, Chief Analyst
Jennifer Gelb,
Research Attorney
You asked for (1) the percentage salary increases teachers have
received through binding arbitration in the past three years and (2) the number
of tenured teachers school districts have dismissed for poor performance over
the past five years.
BINDING ARBITRATION
SALARY INCREASES
From 1999 through February
2003, arbitrators issued 19 awards deciding general teacher salary issues.
Table 1 shows the percentage increase in general wages (excluding increments)
teachers received for each of the years covered by those awards.
Table 1: Teacher Annual Salary Increases
Arbitrator Decisions - 1999-2003
District
|
2000-01
|
2001-02
|
2002-03
|
2003-04
|
2004-05
|
2005-06
|
Windsor Locks
|
3. 0%
|
4. 3%
|
4. 3%
|
|
|
|
Watertown
|
4. 2
|
3. 3
|
3. 7
|
|
|
|
New London
|
3. 0
|
|
|
|
|
|
Region 17
|
3. 7
|
2. 5
|
2. 5
|
|
|
|
Milford
|
|
|
3. 0
|
3. 0%
|
Reopen
|
|
Vernon
|
|
4. 5
|
5. 5
|
|
|
|
Plainfield
|
|
4. 2
|
3. 0
|
|
|
|
Southington
|
|
5. 3
|
5. 0
|
5. 0
|
|
|
Waterford
|
|
|
3. 9
|
2. 5
|
2. 4%
|
|
Preston
|
|
|
4. 0
|
4. 0
|
4. 0
|
|
Somers
|
|
|
3. 5%
|
3. 8%
|
3. 5%
|
|
Andover
|
|
|
3. 5
|
2. 4
|
|
|
Seymour
|
|
|
4. 6
|
6. 2
|
|
|
Woodbridge
|
|
|
1. 0
|
0. 6
|
0. 4
|
|
Portland
|
|
|
2. 5
|
3. 0
|
3. 0
|
|
Newington
|
|
|
|
3. 75
|
3. 75
|
|
East Haven
|
|
|
|
2. 5
|
|
|
New Haven
|
|
|
|
1. 8
|
2. 2
|
|
Cheshire
|
|
|
|
2. 5
|
3. 5
|
3. 5%
|
Windsor Locks
|
|
|
|
2. 1
|
3. 5
|
3. 5
|
Source:
Teacher binding arbitration awards and CABE Negotiations Service
TENURED TEACHER
DISMISSALS
At our request, the Connecticut Association
of Boards of Education (CABE) surveyed school superintendents by e-mail about
the number of tenured teachers dismissed for poor performance in the past five
years. Of the 76 who responded, 12 districts reported dismissing a total of 25
tenured teachers for poor performance or incompetence during the past five
years. Of this number, nearly 50% were terminated by a single district: Danbury.
Nine additional districts reported either dismissing nontenured teachers for performance reasons or allowing or
successfully counseling tenured teachers to resign instead of being dismissed.
One district reported dismissing a tenured teacher for having a sexual
relationship with a student.
Districts that reported dismissing tenured teachers for poor
performance are listed in Table 2. Roughly 40,000 regular and special program
teachers were employed in Connecticut
public schools in the 2001-02 school year, according
to the State Department of Education.
Table 2: Districts Reporting Performance-Related Dismissals of
Tenured Teacher Since 1998
District
|
Tenured
teachers
terminated
|
Ansonia
|
3
|
Branford
|
1
|
Danbury
|
12
|
New Britain
|
3
|
Old Saybrook
|
1
|
Region 7
|
1
|
Region 15
|
2
|
Windsor Locks
|
1
|
Wolcott
|
1
|
Source:
CABE e-mail survey, February 24-28, 2003
JL/JG: eh