ROCKWOOD TEACHER PAY UPDATE: THE DISTRICT MAY PAY A BIT MORE IN YEAR TWO, TEACHERS ARE TOLD TO DO A BIT LESS, AND $139 MILLION SPENT ON CURRICULUM
ON PAUSE
No more holding signs before school in the mornings, for now.
And, no more unpaid work.
 |
| RNEA pictures from "Coffee at the Curb" demonstrations, which have since been paused. |
Because Rockwood has agreed to a bit more pay in year two of the next teacher contract, public expressions of concerns over their pay are on pause as they discuss details of the current pay proposal.
But, also on pause: work they don't get paid for.
Teachers are being encouraged by their union to:
--resign from committee assignments
--stop performing unpaid, volunteer roles
--only work contract hours (the 7.5 hour school day)
Teachers say the above actions are an attempt to spotlight how much they do that is above and beyond what they are paid to do.
PROPOSED PAY
8.5% UPPED TO 10%, OVER 2 YEARS INSTEAD OF 3
Most of the public's attention has been on the 12% raise, in increments over three years, that teachers voted to reject. But, there was also a two-year option that totaled 8.5% (the first two years of the three year deal).
The new 2-year pay deal has a total raise of 10% over two years, up from 8.5%.
The increase is in year two, up from 3.25% to 4.75%.
Another 1.5% for teachers.
Tonight, Rockwood sent an email to parents with the above update on negotiations. It stated "L" teachers (longevity, or teachers with 25+ years) would NOT get the full raise.
(If teachers vote to approve, the first year would still be 5.25% and a third year would be subject to later negotiation, as well as whether or not a tax levy increase passes).
TAX LEVY?
In emails to teachers and parents, the district has said any total raise above 12% over the next three years will require a tax levy increase. Teachers have requested 16%.
In its newly formed "frequently asked questions" list, the district makes the case for the levy, saying there hasn't been a tax levy increase in 30 years. More detail is at the bottom of this post.
SUPPORT FOR TAX LEVY?
On social media, supporters of a pay increase for teachers are mixed on whether they would also support a tax levy increase to fund it. The district says it plans to send out a survey to gauge support.
Skeptics generally say they first want to see a commitment from Rockwood to trim spending or make better use of the current budget.
CUT COSTS?
CURRICULUM = $139 MILLION
Teachers have been telling us for a while that the district should cut back on how much it spends on curriculum.
To give you an idea of how much it costs taxpayers, Rockwood's Annual Budget shows a total of $139,315,383.00 has gone toward curriculum over the last five years (since the 2020-2021 school year.)
But, also on pause: work they don't get paid for.
Teachers are being encouraged by their union to:
--resign from committee assignments
--stop performing unpaid, volunteer roles
--only work contract hours (the 7.5 hour school day)
Teachers say the above actions are an attempt to spotlight how much they do that is above and beyond what they are paid to do.
PROPOSED PAY
8.5% UPPED TO 10%, OVER 2 YEARS INSTEAD OF 3
Most of the public's attention has been on the 12% raise, in increments over three years, that teachers voted to reject. But, there was also a two-year option that totaled 8.5% (the first two years of the three year deal).
The new 2-year pay deal has a total raise of 10% over two years, up from 8.5%.
The increase is in year two, up from 3.25% to 4.75%.
Another 1.5% for teachers.
Tonight, Rockwood sent an email to parents with the above update on negotiations. It stated "L" teachers (longevity, or teachers with 25+ years) would NOT get the full raise.
(If teachers vote to approve, the first year would still be 5.25% and a third year would be subject to later negotiation, as well as whether or not a tax levy increase passes).
TAX LEVY?
In emails to teachers and parents, the district has said any total raise above 12% over the next three years will require a tax levy increase. Teachers have requested 16%.
In its newly formed "frequently asked questions" list, the district makes the case for the levy, saying there hasn't been a tax levy increase in 30 years. More detail is at the bottom of this post.
SUPPORT FOR TAX LEVY?
On social media, supporters of a pay increase for teachers are mixed on whether they would also support a tax levy increase to fund it. The district says it plans to send out a survey to gauge support.
Skeptics generally say they first want to see a commitment from Rockwood to trim spending or make better use of the current budget.
CUT COSTS?
CURRICULUM = $139 MILLION
Teachers have been telling us for a while that the district should cut back on how much it spends on curriculum.
To give you an idea of how much it costs taxpayers, Rockwood's Annual Budget shows a total of $139,315,383.00 has gone toward curriculum over the last five years (since the 2020-2021 school year.)
 |
| Source: Rockwood's Annual Budget for the 2024-2025 school year. We condensed portions of pages 176 and 177. |
"The district wastes a lot of money on curriculum adoptions. They also don’t like to repeat any curriculum even though teachers may be happy with the content." --Rockwood teacher
Note: This year's budget also shows, millions of dollars are spent every year on "curriculum" even though the district's website says curriculum is replaced in cycles of every 6 to 8 years.
Teachers say one reason is that changes actually happen more frequently than that. As a side note, they also expressed frustration that the district sometimes over-purchases materials that end up in teacher closets.
MATH CURRICULUM $2 MILLION THIS YEAR
SOME TEACHERS SAY: NOT NEEDED
$2,105, 020.00 is in the budget this school year for primary and secondary math, representing spending that is 485% percent more and 372% more, respectively, than last school year.
 |
| This year's Annual Budget. Page 176. The 485% and 372% increases are in the last column. |
Teachers tell us they don't need the new math curriculum, set to start in the fall.
Several also mentioned an "irrelevant," "unnecessary" speaker that was flown in to talk about making math more creative and fun, instead of discussing the newly purchased curriculum.
"Most of us would have rather just seen the curriculum, the resources, and started seeing lessons instead..." --Rockwood teacher
OTHER CURRICULUM SPENDING = DOUBLE OR MORE
OTHER CURRICULUM SPENDING = DOUBLE OR MORE
Seven other line items of this year's curriculum spending are roughly double (or more) compared to what was spent last year. They are listed on the first screenshot from the budget above.
All the spending comes at a time when the district says it can't afford to pay teachers the 16% raise they requested (in increments over three years.)
It's not just teachers. Parents aren't always happy with the curriculum, either.
YEARS AGO, TEACHERS TOLD TO HIDE FROM PARENTS
It is worth noting that some of the nearly $500,000 spent on English Language Arts during the 2020-2021 school year paid for content so controversial that the district's then-literacy coordinator told teachers to hide it from parents.
It's not just teachers. Parents aren't always happy with the curriculum, either.
YEARS AGO, TEACHERS TOLD TO HIDE FROM PARENTS
It is worth noting that some of the nearly $500,000 spent on English Language Arts during the 2020-2021 school year paid for content so controversial that the district's then-literacy coordinator told teachers to hide it from parents.
Instructions to hide content that referenced gender fluidity and white privilege were discovered in an email that made national news.
SOME SPENDING CHANGES
The district is now saying it IS making some changes in spending, including lengthening elementary curriculum review cycles from 6 years to 8 years, "that resulted in cost savings," and reallocating $3.5 million from the Capital Projects fund to the Teachers Fund.
It's all in Rockwood's Frequently Asked Questions page, below.
 |
| From Rockwood's Frequently Asked Questions (FQA) page. |
Teachers gave us these other suggestions for changes in spending:
--Stop buying new, "trendy" curriculum so often.
--Reduce the number of guest speakers flown in for professional development.
--Recapture left over money from when higher paid teachers are replaced with lower paid teachers.
--Temporarily reduce raises for administrators.
--Freeze all salaries if the district freezes teacher salaries.
MORE ON THAT TAX LEVY
INFO FROM THE DISTRICT:
Some Rockwood voters may not feel like it's been 30 years since the last tax levy. They just approved Proposition 3 in 2023 to raise approximately $26 million to replace or maintain aging facilities and technology in Rockwood.
Rockwood explains that Prop 3 was not a tax levy increase, though; it was a tax levy transfer.
 |
| From the district's Frequently Asked Questions page |
Teachers are the ones whose pay has become so controversial.
As we previously reported, salary data shows teacher pay ranks 20th when compared to the same area districts where our superintendent's pay ranks 7th.
On top of that, Rockwood's school board just voted to approve a contract extension for the superintendent with a maximum pay that would equal a total 17% raise in increments over three years.
That raise is dependent on teacher negotiations and is not final. Cain's current salary is $273,822.00.
Note: The district recently put out information stating:
"Whereas it has been stated that administrative salaries are at the top of St. Louis county, that is not factual information as there are multiple factors to consider in comparisons such as district size and years of service."
The statement did not specifically address the superintendent's #7 pay rank.
---
TONIGHT'S FULL EMAIL FROM ROCKWOOD
Negotiations Update for Rockwood Families and Community
We want to provide you with an update as it relates to negotiations with the RNEA. The following letter was shared with RNEA President Tom Cook and MNEA UniServ Director Lisa Ali yesterday afternoon. We are pleased to be moving forward toward a resolution that moves educator salaries in a positive direction while maintaining the financial stability of the district in a way that benefits all Rockwood patrons.
March 3, 2025
Dear Mr. Cook,
The Board of Education met this morning and reviewed your proposal. With great consideration, they have approved moving forward with your proposed 10% salary increase over two years—5.25% in year one and 4.75% in year two—with the following understandings:
The Board of Education wants to be clear that in order to make this work, we have to borrow money from year three in our initial offer.
Since this structure frontloads salary increases more than originally proposed, it is important to note that without a tax levy increase, there is a high risk of a salary freeze in year three, as we are reallocating funds from that year to accommodate larger raises in year two and there are many uncertainties in state funding as previously discussed.
We are committed to assisting with your ratification meetings to ensure accurate financial information is shared and any questions are addressed in real time.
Employees on L-Steps will remain at a 2% increase, as negotiated in 2016. This is not a new decision but one that was agreed upon previously.
This offer is a three-year agreement – Guaranteed salary for two years, with salary negotiations in the third year: 10% increase over two years (5.25% in year one, 4.75% in year two).
As a reminder, we have until March 11, 2025, to begin running contracts, so time is of the essence. Please confirm whether you plan to take this offer forward for ratification, and let us know if you have any questions.
Dr. Cain & Dr. Cohen
ADDITIONAL SCREENSHOTS OF BUDGET PAGES 176-177
------
This post has been updated to include that teachers with 25 or more years will still not get the full raise if teachers approve this agreement.