Education
Joslyn Delancey president Darien Education Association DEA

Darien Parent Teacher Groups, Union President Voice Support for Proposed Three-Year Teachers Contract

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When the Board of Education voted unanimously at a recent meeting to accept the labor contract just negotiated with the union representing Darien teachers, several parents from town parent-teacher organizations spoke up during the public comment part of the meeting, all strongly supporting the new contract. See also: Board of Education Approves 3-Year Teachers Contract Increasing Cost $1.5 Million Each Year (Nov. 27)

Here’s what each speaker had to say (with some comments excerpted) at the Nov. 12 meeting of the Board of Education. Times show where the speakers statements can be found on the public video of the meeting.

Education
James Palen Board of Finance meeting

Board of Education Approves 3-Year Teachers Contract Increasing Cost $1.5 Million Each Year

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Darien’s 484 or so public school teachers would get an average pay increase of almost 12 percent over the course the next three fiscal years under a contract recently approved with no public discussion by the Board of Education. The new contract will increase the town budget by roughly $1.5 million in each of the next three fiscal years, very roughly 1% of the next three town budgets. The teacher’s contract now costs the town roughly $50 million. The teachers have already ratified the contract, which is officially estimated to cost the town $4.7 million more in its final, third year than the town now spends on its current contract, although the official estimate is artificially high. A significant feature of the new contract is a concession by the union to have teachers at the secondary level (the middle school and high school) take on a larger number of classes: They currently teach 4.5 classes at a time.