The organization ‘Teachers Leading Change’ published today (Friday) a response to the salary agreement signed yesterday between the representatives of the state and the teachers union.
The organization reacted to the agreements with optimism and said: “The salary agreement published yesterday contains news: for the first time, important principles were introduced into the mechanism of employing teaching staff. Among these important principles – which were included in the agreement also thanks to the activity of “Teachers Leading Change” – we can name: the personal contracts, salary increase Differentially, flexible vacation days, a shekel floor for positions and increasing managerial autonomy – both in terms of overtime pay and position pay. Another significant news is the removal of the barrier to hiring more than 100 percent of a position.”
In addition, they said: “Unfortunately, there are also features in this agreement that preserve the broken fixation of the teacher employment mechanism in Israel. These features also remain within the new agreement – due to the opposition of the Teachers’ Union – even though they are the ones that have largely led to the current crisis in the education system. Among these corruptions are: the retention of the seniority-dependent percentage mechanism in the salary supplement; the retention of the percentage mechanism and the avoidance of providing a shekel floor for most positions’ remuneration, including the concentration of the profession; the avoidance of simplifying the pay slip and burdening it with details; and the inflexibility of the dismissal procedure. Unfortunately, other important changes have been postponed for the coming years and will not come into effect this year or next year. Remuneration for quality teachers and personal contracts are very significant changes and in them lies the main message of the necessary improvement in the education system – and it was right not to delay their implementation.”
The organization also said: “Beyond the big and essential issues, the agreement includes many details and changes that are worth looking at. As teachers who are well versed in the system’s ins and outs, we know how to point out the impact of details that a look outside the system might miss. For example, in the new salary agreement, for the first time, there is an agreement on a salary increase for educators In your class, integration students: this is a welcome addition, but it ignores professional teachers who bear the same burden. Another example of a problematic clause in the agreement is that the remuneration of the position under the control of the director has no provisions for the continuing education fund. There are many other clauses in the agreement, and we invite those involved in the field to read the agreement in depth and try to find out the effects of all the sections – even those that seem unimportant.”
“On the sidelines, we must comment on two outrageous points found in the agreement. First, the agreement explicitly states that the details of the mechanisms of the flexible vacation days and the personal contracts appear in the letters of the Director General of the Ministry of Education. However, these letters were not attached to the agreement and were not made available to the public in general and the teachers in particular. Second, a clause was inserted into the agreement that mandates the transfer of NIS 17 million from public funds to the teachers’ union coffers for the benefit of the welfare fund. There is no monitoring mechanism for these funds and they are used in a non-transparent manner.” They added.
In conclusion, they said: “We hope that the new salary agreement will be a first step towards the necessary changes in the education system. It seems that the Ministry of Finance understands the need for flexibility in the employment of teachers; and we all hope that the teachers’ organizations will also be able to improve the manner of employment in a manner suitable for the 21st century. “Teachers “Leaders of change” will continue to follow the agreements that are taking shape and their implementation and will work for a free and quality education system.
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