“We cannot live on the money we earn.”
John Vanden Heuvel says he makes around 45 thousand dollars a year as a City Middle High School teacher in Grand Rapids.
“We in Grand Rapids are one of if not the lowest paying district in the Grand Rapids area. All other school districts around us are paid at least 10 percent more.”
Grand Rapids Education Association union vice president Jayne Niemann thinks the district can do better than the one and a half percent pay raise they are offering.
“The district may say they can’t afford more than a 1.5% increase. We have a 40 million surplus in the fund balance. We have a lot of educators looking elsewhere for jobs.”
But superintendent Leadriane Roby says they are hiring and retaining teachers willing to work for the pay they offer.
“Two years ago, we had nearly 200 teacher vacancies. Today that number is down to 93.”
The teachers current 3-year contract expires in June.
“The bargained contract in the last 3 years have not kept up with inflation.”
