September 22, 2022
In response to statements at Thursday evening’s board meeting regarding paraprofessionals' salaries, Jerry Jordan said the following:
"In our recent contract, we made historic gains in the salaries and working conditions of paraprofessionals. This included more than 10% salary increases for the vast majority of paraprofessional support staff. Further, we negotiated a landmark career pathway agreement, winning fully paid college tuition for paras looking to further their education to pursue a career in teaching. For the first time, no member is earning less than $15/hour. But we know that is not enough—we can and must do more to further increase the pay and working conditions for paraprofessionals.
"That being said, I was encouraged to hear President Wilkerson this evening indicate that perhaps the board is open to renegotiating paraprofessional salaries to further demonstrate their commitment to recruiting, retaining, and respecting the incredibly dedicated paraprofessionals who work tirelessly each day.
"If the Board is serious about reopening negotiations to further increase pay for PFT members, I am ready and willing to do just that."
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