Worcester teacher contract: How does it compare with neighboring districts?

WORCESTER — One of the Educational Association of Worcester’s goals during contract negotiations last school year was to lock in a pay increase and more competitive step raises for teachers.

In June, the Worcester School Committee voted in favor of ratification, and 93% of union members also voted to approve the contract, which is set to expire in 2026.

“The Worcester Public Schools is proud to provide highly competitive salaries for our hard-working educators,” said district spokesperson Dan O’Brien. “In collaboration with the Educational Association of Worcester, WPS is providing a pay scale that values the complexities and importance of teachers’ work in service of our students.”

The nine-step scale specifies how much Worcester Public School teachers are compensated depending on their educational credentials, as well as their years of experience.

A first-year teacher with a bachelor’s degree will earn $54,363 for the 184-day school year in 2023-24, while a teacher with a doctorate and nine or more years of experience — the top of the pay scale — will earn $106,266.

"One of the reasons we were fighting for wage increases was because we had seen that Worcester had fallen behind in comparison to a lot of districts when it came to top step," Educational Association of Worcester President Melissa Verdier said. "I think that we've made real big moves to either close that gap completely, or at least close it somewhat."

She said the wage and salary scale increases would help with recruiting new teachers and with retaining experienced educators.

Before the new contract, which includes a retroactive increase for the 2022-23 school year, the union had been working under a previously expired contract.

Negotiations for a new contract began in 2019, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it "threw a wrench in things," Verdier previously said.

Before earning a retroactive pay increase for the 2022-23 school year in the most recent contract, teachers were paid based on the 2021-22 payscale.

This meant, initially, a first-year teacher with a bachelor’s degree earned $50,262, while a teacher with a doctorate degree and nine or more years of experience — the top of the pay scale — earned $98,249.

The majority of teachers received the 4% increase in retroactive pay for the year in their most recent paychecks, Verdier said.

A review of the current Worcester contract, as well as teacher contracts in some nearby public school districts, posted on the districts' websites, provides some insight into how the new salary scale compares.

Worcester

Bachelor’s entry pay: $54,363

Master’s entry pay: $61,497

Doctorate entry pay: $74,798

At the top of the pay scale, a teacher with a doctorate and nine or more years of experience will earn $106,266.

Fitchburg

Bachelor’s entry pay: $50,790

Master’s entry pay: $55,189

At the top of the pay scale, a teacher with a master’s degree and 60 additional credits at step 8 will earn $91,639.

Shrewsbury

Bachelor’s entry pay: $53,784

Master’s entry pay: $59,649

A teacher with a master's degree and 60 additional credits, at the top of the 13-step scale, will earn $108,493.

Milford

Bachelor’s entry pay: $59,438

Master’s entry pay: $63,826

Doctorate entry pay: $73,566

A teacher with a doctorate at step 11, the top of the scale, will earn $110,935.

Gardner

Bachelor’s entry pay: $49,491.84

Master’s entry pay: $52,793.65

Doctorate entry pay: $58,155.91

A teacher with a doctorate at step 14, the top of the scale, will earn $87,258.95.

Westborough

Bachelor’s entry pay: $57,089

Master’s entry pay: $62,607

Doctorate entry pay: $71,844

A teacher with a doctorate at step 12, the top of the scale, will earn $109,322.

Grafton

Bachelor’s entry pay: $51,518

Master’s entry pay: $55,130

Doctorate entry pay: $60,782

The scale includes steps one through 12, including three additional steps, at 15, 20, and 25. Teachers are compensated based on the number of years they have taught in the Grafton Public School district, as well as the step they placed in when they arrived in the district.

Teachers with a doctorate at step 25, the top of the scale, will earn $99,993.

Auburn

Bachelor’s entry pay: $50,767

Master’s entry pay: $55,846

A teacher with a master's degree plus 30 additional credits at step 15, the top of the scale, will earn $97,583.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Comparing teacher contracts in Worcester County