Justin Elicker swears in student representative Ma’Shai Roman during Monday’s meeting.
Non-certified teachers and paraprofessionals working part-time for the New Haven Public Schools “Summer of Fun” programming will receive short-term pay increases this summer.
The Board of Education unanimously approved the superintendent’s proposal for non-certified teachers to receive an increase to $25 an hour and for paraprofessional to get $17 an hour for the summer. The vote took place during the board’s regular Monday meeting via Zoom.
Before the increase was approved Monday, non-certified teachers for the summer programs were being paid $17.80 an hour. The increase of $7.20 was agreed on by all of the board members.
Paraprofessionals and their advocates have pushed for years for significant pay raises.
Before the final vote, BOE member Darnell Goldson with the help of other members negotiated to get part-time paraprofessionals an extra $5 rather than $3.
Tracey Plan vs. Goldson Plan
School’s Superintendent Iline Tracey originally requested that the board approve the promised increase to $25 for non-certified teachers and a $3 raise for part-time paraprofessional working in NHPS this summer. The extra $3 from minimum wage would pay them $15 an hour.
As of last Sept. 1, Connecticut minimum wage increased to $12 an hour. It will increase again to $13 an hour this Aug. 1.
Goldson originally made a motion to increase both non-certified teachers and part-time paraprofessional wages to $25 an hour.
Tracey urged the board to be cognizant of the need for salary differentials for categories of school workers. She added that the education budget has allocated a limited amount of funds to summer programs’ budgets.
“If you pay a part-time para the same cost you’re paying someone who’s preparing lesson plans and executing lessons, then that would be another form of inequity,” said Tracey.
“We continue to build inequities in this system,” said Goldson. “We got a bunch of this money, and for a month or two we can put a little bit of extra money in their pockets and make them happy while they’re working with our kids during the summer.”
The majority of the board agreed that the educators should receive a pay increase but one that should uphold a differential in wages for differing positions such as parent liaisons, student workers, and truancy workers.
“Differential responsibility requires differential payment,” said BOE Secretary Edward Joyner.
“Whether they’re developing teaching plans or not, we know they’re working super hard to protect our children and to make sure that our children are safe and in a great learning environment,” said Goldson.
When asked if $15 is the absolute limit the program budget can afford, K‑8 Instructional Superintendent Keisha Redd-Hannans said budget range revisions can be done, but the administration could not have the total cost for the summer programs’ budgets or the total cost for the raises according to the number of workers at the time of the meeting.
“It’s shameful that the administration would come to the board tonight with this request and not have all the information available,” said Goldson. “It’s unfair to us.”
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Ivelise Velazquez reported that the summer programs currently have 50 non-certified teachers. The $25 wage increase for the remaining 21 days of the summer camps will cost about $30,000, she said.
The summer programs employ more than 100 part-time paraprofessionals who work at least 19.5 hours a week, Tracey said.
“We all know that even going from $13 to $15 doesn’t buy a lot of groceries,” said BOE Vice President Matt Wilcox.
In accordance with the need for differential wages among different positions, the board agreed to increase part-time paraprofessionals’ pay to $17 instead of $15.
The superintendent and Larry Conaway, a member of the Pay Equity Committee, agreed to work on a compensation equity proposal and/or presentation in the near future for the board to discuss wages beyond the summer.
Summer Camp Attendance Update
In a first-week update about “Summer of Fun” programming, Redd-Hannans reported that attendance has increased at several programs over past years.
The K‑4 literacy camps have an average attendance of 726 students. This includes daily attendance at Beecher, Bishop Woods, Clinton Avenue School, Fair Haven, Jepson, Barack H. Obama Magnet University School, Troup, and Truman. The program has gained 447 more students this year compared to NHPS’s summer K‑4 programs in 2019.
NHPS literacy camp and Soars program for K‑7 graders is averaging 800 students so far. This included programming at Conte, Hill Central, John Martinez, and King/Robinson. The Soars camp has 167 more students than it did in 2019.
The high school credit recovery programs is averaging 586 students, not including at the Hillhouse High School site. The tally includes programming at Co-op, High School in the Community, Metro, and Wilbur Cross. The program has 359 more students than it did in 2019.