Teacher Pay Raise, Middle School Sports Coaches Included In New AACPS Contract

Teacher Pay Raise, Middle School Sports Coaches Included In New AACPS Contract Teachers will get a raise in Anne Arundel County. With a middle school athletic program starting this spring, the pay for coaches was set.

Press release from Anne Arundel County Public Schools:

(Oct. 16, 2024) —The Board of Education tonight approved an agreement with the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County (TAAAC) that provides compensation increases, establishes a career ladder, and creates a salary scale for middle school athletics coaches.

The agreement includes a step increase for eligible Unit I employees and a 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment for all Unit I employees, which include teachers, school counselors, and similar employees. It also makes modification to employee healthcare plans in alignment with agreements with other bargaining units.

"I am so pleased that we have reached this point and are able to provide increases to our amazing teachers and counselors," Board of Education President Robert Silkworth said. "They are on the front lines of what we do as a school system every day and have an enormous impact on our students. I thank each of them."

The agreement also creates a pay scale for middle school athletics coaches as Anne Arundel County Public Schools prepares to launch the program this spring.

"While the process took longer than we had hoped, we are glad to now have a ratified contract so that Unit I employees can begin to receive their negotiated pay increases," TAAAC President Kristina Korona said. "Dr. Bedell and the Board of Education have committed to engage in collaborative conversations that will lead to improved working conditions for our members as well as a productive negotiations process that will conclude in April 2025. We are looking forward to building upon the progress made so that we can continue to make the necessary improvements in salaries and working conditions that are needed to retain educators in this county."

Effective July 1, 2025, AACPS will introduce a career ladder in compliance with the Blueprint for Maryland's Future. The career ladder will feature four tiers, from Level 1 to Level 4, with each representing an advancement in professional skills and responsibilities. Compensation enhancements will occur as an employee ascends from one level to another.

This press release was produced by Anne Arundel County Public Schools . The views expressed here are the author's own.