Collier County teachers reach contract agreement

Collier County teachers have come to an agreement with the school district in their contract negotiations.

The county agreed to a total of over $24 million for teachers, an 11.65% unit increase for educators.

It was a sigh of relief for everyone in the room after months of tough negotiation talks.

“We truly appreciate our teachers. We know they make all the difference for our students on a daily basis and we hope that this compensation package is something that they appreciate,” said Deputy Superintendent of Schools Darren Burkett.

Money talks, but Collier County Education Association president Kenneth Mouton said this move from the district speaks more to respect.

“It shows that they respect us, and it makes you really want to work hard, and that’s what is best for kids,” said Mouton.

Hard work, art teacher Nance Jones said, will benefit both students and their families.

“It’s a positive note for families that they see that. That they see that teachers are uplifted in value and that the community values education,” said Jones.

“If we can have a higher salary, then it allows us to be able to afford living here, and we don’t want to lose teachers, so this is a way of keeping them in the county, which I think is really important,” said Angel Rafaloff, kindergarten teacher in Collier County.

One of the most notable changes from that total is a $3,000 increase for both grandfathered and performance salaries, raising the base salary for teachers to $57,000.

It is a decision that teachers in the district think will boost morale.

From all sides of these negotiations, the tone is strong: “This is not the end.”

Although an agreement may have been reached today, teachers tell WINK News that it is also a lesson for negotiations in future years.