New Database Compares Teacher Contracts

by Jodie Mozdzer Gil | Jun 21, 2012 7:59 am

Ever wonder what teachers in your school district get paid?

Or how many sick days they get?

Or what kinds of hours they work?

A new database of 173 teachers contracts from around Connecticut has the answers.

The Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN), an education advocacy group, compiled details from the 173 contracts as a way to give the public an easier way to get details about teacher contracts around the state.

The database lets anyone look up specific details from their district’s teachers contract — and compare the contracts to others across the state.

Click here to find out what Valley Indy readers on Facebook are saying about the database.

It was inspired by a national database compiled by the National Center for Teacher Quality in 2007, according to an e‑mail sent by ConnCAN CEO Patrick Riccards.

Riccards, in an interview Wednesday, said ConnCAN decided to put together its own database after the 2011 legislative session, when the organization was debating educational issues.

“During that discussion you heard lots of people saying ConnCAN can’t have this discussion because we don’t know what goes into collective bargaining units,” Riccards said.

So ConnCAN decided to research contracts across the state and share the results with the public.

The database is not without controversy, as this story from CT News Junkie points out.

Anyone can visit the ConnCAN site to view the database for free, without registration. Click here to do so.

The database compares several data points, such as pay scales, class size requirements, sick pay, and performance pay.

It also looks at time spent in the classrooms, although Riccards stressed that ConnCAN understands teachers often spend much more time working than their contracts state.

“We have to be very clear here,” Riccards said. “When it comes to the time required — how many hours, how many days — the vast majority of teachers work beyond the time required in the contracts.”

Each district’s full contract is available for download on the website as well.

Only one union, for the New Haven area regional magnet school district ACES, had not provided its contract to ConnCAN as of Wednesday. However, Riccards said the group expects to receive that contract soon, and add the details to its database.

The Valley Contracts

Some of the details from the Valley school districts included in the database:

The starting pay for incoming teachers with a bachelors degree is highest in Shelton ($46,605) and lowest in Ansonia ($37,171).

Once teachers get a masters degree, they will make the highest starting pay in Shelton ($48,721) and the lowest in Seymour ($42,316).

Oxford teachers are only required to be at school one day before classes start. Shelton teachers are there five days before. The more days for preparation, the better, according to Riccards. “It ensures teachers are getting the time they need to prepare,” he said.