Cecil County Public Schools joined other Maryland school systems in meeting eligibility requirements to receive additional funding for teacher salaries, special education, and other education initiatives from legislation called the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future that passed in Annapolis this year. Often called “Kirwan Money” the funding and it’s legislation is the first initiative to come from the January 2019 Report of the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education, often called the Kirwan Commission, from the state. In early 2019 CCCTA negotiated a revised salary scale with an average of a 3% salary increase which meet the Blueprint requirements. However, there was no guarantee it would be funded until the county budget was passed and CCPS confirmed they could fund the negotiated agreements, even though it meant drawing from their fund balance for the second year in a row. Qualifying for these additional funds from the Blueprint for Maryland triggered reopening negotiations and agreeing to an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) to place the additional money on the already ratified salary scales, creating new enhanced salary scales for the upcoming 2019-2020 school year.
What does this mean? Employees in the certificated unit will see an additional increase to their originally negotiated salary scale from the Kirwan Money/Blueprint for Maryland Funds.
How did this happen? For over two years the Kirwan Commission has been reviewing and considering what is necessary for schools in Maryland. Educators have been speaking out for years. Many of our members played a part in getting to this point. On March 11, over 8,000 educators rallied in Annapolis urging legislators to fund our schools and begin implementing the initiatives in the Kirwan Commission report. Four buses of activists from Cecil County joined the rally. A few months later the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future was passed. This is just the start.
Questions? Contact CCCTA
