Figuring Out the 8% Raise

The Union website says that although teachers lost two work days that there will be no loss in pay. It also says that each Level was increased by 2%, and that all eligible teachers would move up one level.


Eligible. I wonder if the word is actually in the contract. Here's how the administration applies the term eligible: If an employee has served one official year and received a satisfactory performance appraisal then that employee will be moved to the next Level.


A teacher that was a permanent teacher in early December will receive credit for serving a full year. If that teacher was still a teacher on July 1 then the teacher will be moved to the next Level. I had a one-on-one conversation with Mr. Dan Valdez about this and he was very clear on how the term eligible is applied.


I've used Excel to calculate the hourly rates for Levels 1 through 7 according to what has been published in the newspaper, on the Union website, and in the District press release. I've done the calculations several different ways and can't come up with an increase of 8%. I've found 7.5% and 8.5% using different methods of applying the discombobulated explanations.


Here's an example using a teacher on Level 2 before the new contract:


1. Increase every Level on the Salary Schedule by 2%.
Level 2 changes from $22.87 to $23.33


2. Move teachers up one Level on the Salary Schedule.
Level 3 moved from $23.33 to $23.80 with the 2% increase. The Level 2 teacher moves to Level 3 so the teacher moved from $22.87 to $23.80 per hour.

3. Change the work day from 7.67 hours to 8 hours, after applying the previous 4% increases, means an Annual salary change
from $35,258 (old Level 2, 7.67 hrs/day x 201 days)
to $37,890 (new Level 3, 8 hrs/day x 199 days), an increase of 7.5%.

This new annual salary for a Level 3 is not much more than the St. Pete times reported for a starting teacher so I don't know where the error is.

Any Suggestions?