Dear Collingswood Community,
Yesterday, May 28, the Collingswood Board of Education Negotiations Committee met with the Collingswood Education Association (CEA) Negotiations Team. Though we were hopeful that we would reach a contract settlement last night, no agreement was reached. We recognize that the following communication is not typical during contract negotiations. However, given that negotiations have gone on for over a year, and given calls for increased transparency from the Board, we believe it is important to inform the community about where we are now in negotiations and where we hope to be in the very near future.
What is the Board’s current financial offer to the CEA?
On April 29, 2025, the Board’s Negotiations Committee sent a draft agreement to the CEA. This agreement included an offer of 3.9% raises in the 2024-25 school year, 3.9% raises in 2025-26, and 3.8% raises in 2026-27 for all members of the CEA (teachers, administrative assistants, and instructional assistants). These raises are well above the average raises for teachers in New Jersey and Camden County, with new contract raises in Camden County averaging 3.54% per year over those three years.
The above raises include the additional $225,000 promised by former Mayor Maley for CEA negotiations. The Board’s Negotiation Committee has also agreed to additional monetary requests by the CEA, most notably an additional $40,000 increase to extracurricular stipends for teachers over two years. In all, the Board’s current offer is very strong and would equate to an estimated $4.7 million additional to CEA members over the three years of the contract.
How does the Board’s current offer compare to previous contracts?
Despite the District’s unstable and unpredictable financial situation, the Board firmly believes that all members of the CEA deserve fair and equitable compensation. For this reason, the Board’s current offer is significantly higher than both the county average and the CEA’s raises in their previous contracts that were negotiated under the prior superintendent, as can be seen in this chart.
What are the remaining items being negotiated?
The CEA has asked that the Board pay for their employee healthcare contributions for any retroactive raises that they will receive once contract negotiations have been completed. We cannot agree to this request because it is in the New Jersey Statute that the employee pays the employee’s share of their healthcare contribution.
The CEA has also asked for two additional items: that the Board provide additional raises earmarked for administrative assistants and that the Board agree to shortening the teacher salary guide length.
Why have the CEA and Board not reached an agreement?
Though the Board has conceded to nearly all of the CEA’s remaining requests, an agreement has not yet been reached. On May 13, the Board’s Negotiations Committee agreed to the CEA’s request for additional raises for administrative assistants and for shortening the teacher salary guide. In return, the Board’s Negotiations Committee asked the CEA to agree to additional contract language that would prevent students and families from being caught in the middle of ongoing and future negotiations between the CEA and the Board, including, for example, “Preschool and elementary teachers will participate in one evening back-to-school night per school year,” “Student award ceremonies (e.g., Scholarship Night, Panther Choice Awards, Fine and Performing Arts Awards) shall occur after school hours to facilitate family attendance, and teachers involved in such award ceremonies shall attend the ceremonies,” and “High school teachers will participate in high school graduation.”
The additional contract language covers activities that CEA members have historically participated in during years past. However, at our meeting yesterday, the CEA rejected this request and refused to negotiate further.
What are the next steps?
The Board has now successfully settled with the Building Services Employees Association (our buildings and grounds employee’s union), and we are hopeful that a settlement with the CEA will also soon be reached. Our next scheduled negotiations with the CEA will take place on June 12, during a mediation session with the state-appointed factfinder.
We know how much our community values its educators, and we share that respect and appreciation. Throughout negotiations, we have sought to support our teachers and staff with fair and competitive compensation while also safeguarding the District’s financial health and prioritizing the needs of students and families now and into the future. We will continue to keep the community informed as negotiations progress, and we appreciate the community’s support and patience as we work toward a resolution that best serves our students, families, and staff.
Sincerely,
Collingswood Board of Education Negotiations Committee
Roger Chu, Kate Seltzer, Matt Craig, and Zakiya Devine