At the end of a lengthy discussion involving the Finance and Education Ministries and the Teachers’ Union, on Wednesday morning, August 31, reached a detailed agreement that means Israeli teachers will show up on the first day of school tomorrow, September 1, 2022.
On Tuesday, the State Attorney’s Office, with the approval of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, issued a request for a restraining order against the teachers’ union, prohibiting them from shutting down the education system on September 1. But the National Labor Relations Court rejected the request on technical grounds. It was a wise decision, seeing as the crisis was averted without sending the cops to force teachers to hit the blackboards.
These are the extensive components of the deal:
- Pay increases for teachers, including starting teachers’ salaries set at NIS 9,000 ($2,709) a month and minimum increases of at least NIS 1,100 ($331) a month for all other teachers, as well as a one-time “perseverance grant” of NIS 10,000 ($3,010) to teachers who remain three years in the system.
- Starting school principals’ salary is raised to NIS 19,000 ($5,719) a month.
- The vacation schedule will be adjusted: schools will be open on the Isru Chag days following Sukkot and Passover; Lag B’Omar; and the fast of Esther. In return, teachers can pick two additional vacation days during the bridge between Yom Kippur and Sukkot.
- Merit pay: principals will be allowed to remunerate outstanding teachers between NIS 400 and NIS 1,000 ($120 – 300) for taking initiative and special assignments. Also, principals will be allowed to hire outside experts.
- Salary improvement for a variety of additional positions.
- Homeroom teachers will receive an additional NIS 1,000 ($300) or a percentage of their pay, whichever is higher.
- Remuneration for teaching coordinators and second deputy principals will be no less than NIS 1,100 ($330) or a percentage of their pay, whichever is higher.
- Kindergarten management remuneration will be no less than NIS 1,500 ($450) or a percentage of their pay, whichever is higher.
- Teachers’ consultants’ fees will be raised from 12% to 18%.
- Special education teachers and principals will receive additional pay.
- Minimum job rates will be gradually raised to 100%.
- Dismissal procedures will be streamlined.
- Tenure will be obtained only after three years (compared to two currently).
- The teachers’ union will guarantee industrial peace through December 31, 2026.
- Summer classes will run through July 31, and be expanded to the fourth grade.
