By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – The Tucson Unified School District Governing Board voted Tuesday, Sept. 22, to approve a contract between the district and its substitute teachers, marking the first time substitute teachers in Arizona have reached a bargaining agreement with any district.
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The board approved the item 5-0 during the meeting.
Contract details
The contract between TUSD and the Tucson Education Association is 30 pages long. It includes consistent pay increases, paid professional learning opportunities, a stipend for high-demand sites, and standards for sick leave and healthcare.
Substitute teachers Dolores de Vera and Jerry Schuster worked on the agreement for years.
“Employees don’t come together and ask for collective bargaining unless they feel they’ve been treated unfairly,” de Vera said.
TUSD Governing Board Member Natalie Luna Rose said substitutes are integral to the district.
“Teachers could not take their needed time off, whether it’s for sick or whatever they need, without substitutes,” Luna Rose said.
Statewide vacancy data
Arizona Department of Education data shows the state has thousands of vacant teaching positions. Districts most often fill those positions with long-term substitutes. 29% of all vacant positions statewide are filled that way.
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“We as substitutes want to be there for the teachers; we want to be there for the students,” de Vera said.
Last week, the Tucson Education Association said 97% of substitute teachers who voted supported the new contract.
“We’ve worked long and hard on this, and we’re finally seeing the fruits of our labors,” Schuster said.
First district in state
TUSD is the first district in Arizona to reach an agreement with its substitute teachers. Luna Rose said the contract will help the district recruit more substitutes.
“It will entice those who maybe were thinking about substituting that they can come to TUSD,” Luna Rose said.
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