Salary Guide Improvements Reported after Training

Recent rounds of bargaining have resulted in growing numbers of school boards attaining improvements in salary guides for teachers. Advancements include the removal of balloon steps, reduction in cost of increment, and assurance that the guide’s structure will attract and retain highly qualified staff.

To equip school board members and administrators with skills they need to address salary guide concerns, NJSBA invites members to attend Analyzing and Constructing Salary Guides on Feb. 24 at the RWJ Hamilton Conference Center.

Participants will be guided through a step-by-step process of salary guide analysis and construction. Techniques for addressing salary guide distortion—as well as tactics and strategies for effectively negotiating guide changes—will be covered in detail.

Results! Districts that participated in a recent NJSBA salary guide training report benefits, such as:

• Elimination of 19 balloon steps from the guide, the largest of which represented a 15 percent increment. (The largest increment on the district‘s new guide is 4.4 percent.)

• Changes to attract and retain new teachers. A district with non-competitive starting salaries and small increments at the lower steps of the guide had difficulty attracting and retaining staff. It also had three consecutive balloon steps at the high end of the guide, amounting to 30.2 percent. The board negotiated a new guide that eliminated the balloons, boosted starting salaries and increased the small increments.

For more information about the conference or to register, contact Heidi Bullock at (888) 886-5722, ext. 5217.

Leadership Conference Next Month

Want to be board president or vice president, or continue in one of these roles? Then attend the Leadership Conference, March 9 and 10 in Princeton, and develop the skills to enable your board to focus on critical issues.

For years the NJSBA’s Leadership Conference took place during the summer. Now it is being held in March to give board leaders the tools they need to hit the ground running after reorganization.

The Princeton Marriott Hotel and Conference Center at Forrestal is offering a special conference rate. To contact the hotel, call (609) 452-7800.

To register, have your business administrator contact Heidi Bullock at (609) 278-5217. Please note that registration only covers materials and meals. Hotel accommodations must be made directly with the Marriott, or with any area hotel. For more information, contact Walt Meyer at (888) 886-5722, ext. 5236.