During its regular meeting on Aug. 8, 2023, the District 97 Board of Education approved the terms of a new four-year collective bargaining agreement with the Oak Park Teachers’ Assistants’ Association (OPTAA) that will run through the 2026-27 school year.
Below are several of the outcomes and highlights from the agreement, which was approved by the OPTAA membership on July 10, 2023.
2023-27 Contract Highlights
- Based on a review of compensation in comparable districts, all OPTAA members will receive a market adjustment in the form of set dollar increases in the first, second, third, and fourth year of the contract. There will also be an average annual increase of 2.5% (3% in the first and second years and 2% in the third and fourth years) over the previous year’s base pay.
- The increases reflect the district’s responsibility to secure its long-term financial health by remaining within public CPI-U (Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers) tax levy expectations, while also taking into account the current market for specific employee positions and supporting the district’s goal of recruiting and retaining dedicated staff who contribute to student success.
- The language about training has been expanded to include requirements for all teacher assistants to receive certification in the de-escalation of behavior. This training ensures that the staff remains nimble in supporting varied student strengths and needs.
- In response to the nationwide teacher shortage, the agreement incentivizes teachers’ assistants to achieve a professional educator license via tuition reimbursement.
- In order to support the district’s continued need to ensure students are supported by familiar adults, the hourly differential for serving as a substitute teacher when the classroom teacher is absent has been increased from $6 per hour to $8 per hour.
- In order to represent multiple perspectives at the school level, the agreement ensures that teachers’ assistants are members of building leadership teams. In addition, the agreement ensures that time is dedicated every week to collaborate with teachers.
Joint Statement by the Board of Education and OPTAA
The District 97 Board of Education, administration and Oak Park Teacher Assistants’ Association (OPTAA) are pleased to announce that we have come to terms on a new four-year contract that centers the needs of our students, recognizes the vital role of teacher assistants in our schools, and ensures the long-term sustainability and success of the district.
We want to thank all members of the negotiating teams for the time they invested in this process, and for the professionalism and collaborative spirit they displayed throughout. Our teacher assistants have a meaningful impact on our students’ lives every day by supporting their learning and keeping them safe. We are grateful for their dedication and expertise, and look forward to continuing our work together.