Howard County teachers have new contract, but union says there's room to improve

BALTIMORE -- Howard County teachers went into the 2024-2025 school year with a new contract, but the teachers' union believes there's still room to improve. 

Benjamin Schmitt, President of the Howard County Education Association, said the new contract has its positives. It's a three-year contract that solidifies benefits and adds new protections.

The minimum salary was raised to $60,000, the cost of living adjustment, or COLA, was raised to 2.5%, and the experience pay scale was increased.

The salary raise is only effective for a year, meaning the HCEA will be back at the negotiating table soon.

Howard County Public School System said in a news release that on average, teachers see an increase of nearly 5% in the new contract.

It's just not as much of an increase HCEA wanted.

"Constantly our veterans that are at year 25-plus, at the top of the scale, they're only getting COLA," Schmitt said. "They aren't getting a [pay scale increase]. We tried multiple times this time around to get them some sort of extra percentage at the top, on top of that COLA, and there just wasn't an audience for it."

Jen Mallo, Howard County Board of Education chair, said in a statement about the new contract, "Our teachers and staff are the most important resources we have in our system. I appreciate the leaders in each of our bargaining units for their advocacy."

Despite the concerns with the contract, Schmitt said HCPSS superintendent Bill Barnes has helped with the mood, saying that Barnes is making them feel heard and included.

"He wants everyone at the school level as part of that process, which is huge," Schmitt said. "That's a buy-in we haven't had in quite some time."

Schmitt believes an inclusive approach, like what they've seen from Barnes, could not only lead to a better contract, but overall better morale for educators in the school district.

"There needs to be more of a unification of everything that we need from the school system, not arguing over little pieces of the parts of the budget," Schmitt said. "I don't think, if anything, that's gonna get us anywhere."

To see the contract yourself, you can find it here.