Collier County teachers to see biggest pay raise since 2013

The men and women who mold the minds of your children at Collier County Public Schools are about to get the most significant pay raise since 2013. But some say the teacher raises are not enough.

Suellen Gilliam has been teaching at CCPS for 32 years and said teachers have been waiting for this.

“It makes us feel good that we’re getting this pay raise,” Gilliam said. “This pay increase is so significant. This signals that Collier County Public Schools values teachers.”

Chad Oliver, the executive director of communications for CCPS, said to have the best school district, it needs to have good teachers.

The district and the teachers union agreed on $9 million. All teachers will see at least a $950 added to their salary. Teachers who score effective will earn $2,270. But the teachers who scored highly effective will receive a raise of $3,150. The increase in salary hopes to bring more teachers to the school district.

The teachers union wanted more money. For now, however, they are happy with how the negotiations turned out. Teachers will get the pay raises in around two months.

“Maybe because of this pay raise,” Gilliam said, “we might attract college students to go into the field of education.”

“We wish we could do more,” said Jen Mitchell, a school board member for District 3, “because we know that teachers are the foundation of any great community.”