The South Orange – Maplewood Board of Education has reached a tentative agreement with the South Orange/Maplewood Educational Association (SOMEA), according to representatives of both organizations.
“We are proud to announce that we will start the 2015-2016 school year having reached a tentative agreement between the South Orange / Maplewood Educational Association and the Board of Education,” reads a post on SOMEA’s website signed by the organization’s negotiations team. “We will work to establish salary guides within the next couple of weeks in order to bring the contract to you for ratification.”
“We are delighted that SOMEA and the Board of Education have reached a tentative agreement,” said Superintendent Dr. John J. Ramos, Sr. in an email to The Village Green. “We are excited that the win-win approach to the process resulted in an outcome that is good for all students. This is a tremendous way to begin the school year and a new era.”
“Many thanks to our negotiating team for the Board and to our negotiating partners in SOMEA for the excellent work that’s gotten us here,” said BOE President Wayne Eastman in an email. “I also want to thank our new Superintendent, Dr. Ramos, for the calm, open tone at the top he’s set–I believe that is one of the key ingredients that helped us all get to yes.”
BOE member Beth Daugherty chaired the negotiations task force.
The last contract ratification was in June 2014, and followed more than a year of sometimes acrimonious negotiations. That agreement covered the period from July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2015 and gave teachers a 4.25% salary increase over two years.
The details of the recent contract will not be made public until it is officially ratified, said a district spokeswoman.
The Village Green has reached out to SOMEA representatives for comment.
