Colleagues,
I am pleased to inform you that the RCSD Board of Education, late yesterday evening, voted unanimously to ratify our Tentative Agreement for a Retirement Incentive (see attached). Under the new pact, proposed to the District by the RTA on February 14th, qualified teachers will receive a $50,000 incentive payable at the rate of $10,000 per year for five consecutive years. The District required that at least 110 teachers, by April 15, must submit a notice of intent to retire. As of yesterday afternoon, 111 have already done so. We believe that, now that the Retirement Incentive agreement has been ratified, more eligible teachers will submit their notices.
The agreement on the Retirement Incentive is a win-win for our members as well for our District. It affects us all – not just those who decide to retire under this incentive. It spells substantial and ongoing savings for the District, reduces their structural fiscal deficit, averts or reduces the projected teacher layoffs, and creates an opportunity for further diversifying our teacher ranks. Most importantly, this agreement will contribute towards saving important and needed services for our students.
Adam Urbanski, RTA President