Support for the North Shore Education Association, which represented the Highland Park teachers, was shown by yard signs throughout the district boundaries. (Photo by Gregory Harutunian/for Chronicle Media)

Both the North Shore School District No. 112 Board of Education and the North Shore Education Association formally signaled a resolution to their ongoing contract dispute with a joint statement on an agreement that is retroactive to Aug. 15, 2019 and covers the start of the current academic year.

Four major points in the contract negotiations were addressed, and both entities ratified the new terms, expiring one day prior to start of the 2023-24 school year.

According to a joint statement, issued Nov. 20: “During the 2018-19 school year, a dispute arose between the district and the association regarding how the district was calculating employees’ share of health insurance premiums under certain (terms) of the district’s health insurance plans and coverage options. The association filed two grievances alleging that the district had violated the parties’ collective bargaining agreement, (as well as) an unfair labor practice charge with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board.”

At a Sept. 19 meeting of the association, its membership authorized its bargaining team members to call for a strike, by a 373-3 vote, should an accord not be reached. The action led to a joint Oct. 3 session with the district and a mediator to work on the points of contention, although discussions had been ongoing since August, before the 2019-20 school year commenced.

“It was an extended negotiation process, and there were separate items such as insurance that are now cleared up and settled,” said Nicholas Glenn, the district’s director of communications. “The joint statement issued between the district and the association stands on its own. The effective date of the settlement is retroactive to last Aug. 15.”

Highlights of the agreement were initially released Nov. 19, ahead of the joint statement, and included the sticking points of the contract negotiation process. There will be an annual average salary increase of 4.15 per cent for teachers deemed “on schedule,” and 2.1 per cent for teachers deemed “off schedule.” K-5 teachers will maintain 300 minutes per week for preparation and planning time, of which 60 minutes will be used to meet in teams to review data and assessments, plan lessons, and share strategies on how to most effectively meet student needs.

NSEA President Sheri Henkel had said one of the biggest concerns was the district’s demand to control a teacher’s individual planning time. In an emailed correspondence in September, Henkel said, “We are professionals and we know how to use this time to create the best learning environment and ensure the success of our students.”

Another area of divergence was the policy of continuing education and tuition reimbursement for coursework. The Illinois State Board of Education requires teachers to obtain 24 hours of continuing education development annually, as a condition of their teaching licensure.

The district allegedly sought control in that any continuing education and tuition reimbursement policies will be limited to receiving coursework at only “accredited and recognized colleges or universities, such as those determined by the Illinois State Board of Education or the National Council for Accreditation for Teacher Education.”

The new contract states that tuition reimbursement for continuing graduate-level coursework will still be approved by a committee of teachers and administrators. The Nov. 20 joint statement said, “When the committee cannot agree, the parties will defer to whether the coursework provider is included in the U.S. Department of Education Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs.”

The District 112 Board also acceded to increase its contribution toward health insurance, although teachers will still pay $500 annually for single health insurance. Beginning with the 2020-21 school year, teachers will pay 45 percent of the total premium for PPO family-tier options, and 35 percent of the total premium for HMO family-tier options.

Prior to the agreement, teachers and staff were being paid under terms of the expired contract. The collective bargaining agreement will be in effect for five years. The NSEA represents almost 400 members in the Highland Park elementary and middle schools.