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Glossary of Terms
- Bumping: during reductions in force, the process by which a more senior teacher can “bump” a junior teacher from his/her position within a school or district
- Collective bargaining: the process of negotiations between the school district and the union to reach an agreement governing the terms and conditions of employment for teachers
- Contract: collective bargaining agreement that governs a teacher’s employment and has been negotiated by the school district and the teachers' union
- Illegal Subject of Bargaining: those subjects which parties cannot determine through the bargaining process, usually because it conflicts with state or federal law (a contract provision that discriminates against a group of people who are protected under state or federal non-discrimination statutes, such as classifications based on race or gender)
- Mandatory Subject of Bargaining: those subjects that must be determined through the bargaining process because they relate directly to "wages, hours and conditions of employment" (for example, salary or time required to be in the classroom)
- Permissive Subject of Bargaining: any subject of bargaining that is not mandatory or illegal; the parties may, but are not required to, negotiate over such subjects (for example, teacher evaluations for certified staff)
- Prep time: the time a teacher has during the school day to prepare for classroom instruction, including, but not limited to, the creation of lesson plans, grading assignments, etc.
- Recall Rights: the right for teachers dismissed during reductions in force to remain on a list for a specified period of time; if a position opens when a teacher is at the top of that list, the teacher has the right to be recalled for employment in the district that dismissed him or her
- Step: a teacher’s next placement in the local district’s negotiated salary schedule; sometimes, but not always, correlated to the number of years of experience
- Step Freeze: a mutual decision made by the teachers' union and the district to temporarily hold all teachers at their current salary step for cost savings
- TEACHER TENURE ACT: state statute that governs the employment of teachers in Connecticut and details a number of key employment rights, covering any certified staff below the rank of superintendent
- Tenure: an employment status for teachers that grants them certain procedural protections, and that can be earned in 3 ways: 1) 40 months of continuous service in a single school district; 2) 20 months of continuous service for a teacher who has previously received tenure in another state; or 3) 10 months for a teacher serving in a priority school district and who has achieved tenure in another state
- Tuition reimbursement: reimbursement expenses provided by the district to teachers who pursue post-secondary education related to their employment, including master’s degrees, 6th year degrees, Ed.D etc.
- Union: The exclusive bargaining representative for certified employees, specifically teachers
