Teachers in Ithaca schools face mounting expectations with abysmal pay. High turnover rates and fatigue caused by unreasonable hours increase the disconnect between students and their teachers, which further lessens student quality of education. The Tattler stands with the Ithaca Teachers’ Association (ITA) in asserting that the current contract proposed by ICSD is unacceptable and unsustainable for teachers and students. We argue for better pay, including the implementation of an improved salary plan for ICSD faculty. They deserve better working conditions, not only for their sake, but because teacher working conditions are student learning conditions. We hope the ICSD Board of Education will come to the same conclusion.
In particular, teacher retention has become a serious issue in the district: ICSD stands above both national and New York State turnover rates. ICSD’s rate is rising, most recently placed at eighteen percent in 2024. The president of the Beverly J. Martin Elementary School Parent Teacher Association, Jodie Thomas, mentioned that “Last year, we had two whole grades with completely new staff, and as a surprise to no one, three out of four of them left.” This isn’t a new phenomenon either; Cayuga Heights Elementary School had a ninety-two percent turnover rate from the 2020-21 school year to 2022-23, the highest in the state. The academic effect of turnover is nontrivial, as well: in a Stanford study, researchers reported a correlation between high turnover rates and a significant drop in both English and math performance. This corroborates the idea that students learn better with experienced teachers and those they have built bonds with. Furthermore, low turnover is a sign of happy teachers, who can more effectively educate their students.
ICSD officials have often pointed to national teacher shortages and Ithaca’s university-dependent workforce as the cause of this turnover; the ITA and the Tattler Editorial Board believe that the turnover rate is a result of the inequitable salary distribution system presented by the district. Many teachers are disturbed by the pay they receive in relation to newer hires. “Leapfrogging”—when a newly hired teacher is paid more than a current staff member, despite having the same or less experience—is a major complaint raised by the ITA. According to Jacob Chapin, co-chair of ITA’s Contract Action Team, ICSD’s salary structure suffers from disorganization. This, too, incentivizes teachers away from our district—-they will almost definitely be paid better in a neighboring one. As Jodie Thomas explained, one teacher left the district because the other local district offers more equitable salary plans, and now makes over ten thousand dollars more.
There is also a discrepancy in how leapfrogging is defined: the district claims that it only applies when discussing employees of equal credentials. Even if leapfrogging doesn’t occur by those definitions, teachers are still inequitably compensated when a new, inexperienced hire is paid similarly to a more experienced one. This often has a significant impact on morale, as teachers feel they are not being rewarded for the years they have worked.
Despite this, district officials have asserted that leapfrogging is not an issue. Chief Investigation Officer Robert Van Keuren, who was the only official present at the last round of salary negotiations, stated, “I fundamentally disagree that there is leapfrogging.” Their counterproposal offered a 4.6 percent raise to teachers for two years, which they believe would be more fiscally viable.
However, the ITA would like to create a universal system for salary determination instead. The most popular at present is something called the step and lane system, which the majority of surrounding school districts use. Every teacher in such a program has two ways of getting raises: through “steps” and “lanes.” A “step” is a pay bump for every year of experience a teacher has. A “lane” is a pay bump for every extra credit they append to their teaching license (e.g. any credit contributing towards a masters or PhD in addition to the required bachelor’s degree). In effect, this means that every teacher with the same years of experience and credentials will be paid the same amount, a system much preferred to the inconsistent ICSD one. Additionally, the step and lane system’s focus on teacher retention may alleviate some of the district’s recruitment spending, making the plan more fiscally sustainable. Considering that this plan doesn’t cost much more for the district, the benefits seem to far outweigh the drawbacks.
Even in a time of budgetary uncertainty, salaries fit to retain high-quality teachers should be a top priority. The ongoing contract negotiations have tremendous potential for Ithaca’s quality of education, and they should be treated with appropriate urgency. If you’re a student or community member reading this, we urge you to follow @ithaca_teachers_association on Instagram to stay up to date on ways you can show up to support the cause. Until a fair contract is won, we must keep commenting during BoE meetings and being present at contract negotiations.