Written by Tanya Terry, with photos by Tanya Terry
Flint teachers have been bearing their souls and expressing a wide range of emotions for months. But since 96% of the teachers recently approved a settlement agreement between the Flint Board of Education and the United Teachers of Flint, many are experiencing joy as they finally let out a sigh of relief knowing most of them are soon being restored back to the salary step commensurate with their experience.
Karen Christian, a 6th grade teacher at Potter Elementary and United Teachers of Flint (UTF) president, told the Courier after an April 10 press conference that before the new settlement agreement was approved, she had been facing her own challenges.
“I’ve got a whole lot of student loans that have been taken over from my children going to school and I have to pay those loans,” she said. “I haven’t been able to pay them.”
Christian said about a decade ago the district was “in deficit spending badly” and teachers had to give up 19% from their contract.
“So, we took stuff off from different places,” she added. “There was stuff taken off our salary schedule. We had freezes. So, people could not move up and down. They had to stay where they were, frozen. So, what happened was those of us that were frozen at the top, were frozen at the top. Those of us who were frozen in the middle, were frozen in the middle, and people were frozen at the beginning. As the years went on, we’ve negotiated new contracts. But the freezes were in place. We’d do another pay scale. So, everyone would be on a new pay scale. So, you may get like another half a percent increase. But you’re still stuck where you are.”
Christian gave an example.
“I had a couple of teachers in this district that were stuck at step two, and they’ve been here for like 10 years. So, to restore them, they were moved to step 12, and then next year they’ll move on to step 13. So, they’ll be back to the place where they’re supposed to be.”
According to the union’s contract, teachers who were not restored back to their appropriate salary step based on experience, who were also those at the very top of the pay scale, will receive a step increase next year.
Christian said the time leading up to the settlement agreement had been highly emotional. She added it took a while to get some teachers to talk about their trauma. Yet, she said she felt sharing trauma could help lead to solutions.
Christian said the current administration was not one that would be in a teacher’s classroom the next day giving them a hard time because they shared their story.
“We’ve had administrations in the past that have run that way. This one does not. People actually took what you had to say to heart. They understood the trauma that they had been through. They understood the trauma that their students had been through, and it made a difference to all of us to get back to the table to reach the collaboration that we did to get the settlement agreement that we all agreed would be best for this district to move forward.”
Flint Community Schools Superintendent Kevelin Jones said it had been a “rollercoaster.”
“But I think that this was necessary in retrospect for us to be able to be where we are today,” Jones added. “No, I didn’t want our teachers to have to go through that. But it was great for us to hear from our teachers. I think every board member behind me will agree that it was great hearing every comment that we heard from our teachers. It gave us an opportunity. Yes, I visit classrooms. Yes, the board members visit the buildings. But it gave us an opportunity to hear the heart.”
Jones said going to the table to work things out with teachers was what he and the board members thought was best for the scholars.
He stated that all of the district’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funds have been allocated, focused on renovations and repurposing of school buildings within the district.
Next year the district aims to reopen four fully renovated schools.
Jones shared some of his goals for the district.
“Yes, we do have building issues, but we also need new enrollees to come back to Flint Community Schools,” he said. “Sometimes we’re focusing on the closures or the vacant properties when we also need to focus on enrollment campaigns and bringing in a new high school for our students.”
Jones stated although the district does receive funds, the ways the funds can be used is limited. He said since they are to be used for intervention, he believes they should be able to be used for teachers.
Flint school administrators and the union say they now plan to work together on communicating needs to state officials.
Fortunately for many, the district will no longer have to recruit even experienced teachers at level one. Instead, teachers with experience can enter the pay scale at a higher rate than inexperienced teachers.
Under the recent settlement, Flint Community Schools will also transition back to a more traditional school year calendar, with long summer breaks. This calendar will begin in 2025-2026 school year.
Christian’s hope is that with teachers being restored, they’ll be making their correct space on the salary schedule and be able to move each year from this time on to go to the step where they need to be. She said then they will be able to tend to their families, as well as do their jobs at school.
