ATF & APS Tentative Agreement On E&RSE Salaries
Since the creation of the NM 3-Tiered Teacher Licensure System in 2003, not a year has passed in which the Albuquerque Teachers Federation (ATF) hasn’t fought for, and won, equal raises for all the Support and Related Service providers in APS.
Your union knows what every teacher, student and parent knows—counselors, nurses, social workers, therapists, interpreters, and many more educators in diverse roles, are essential to the success of our students. This union acts on the belief that the job of our public schools is to teach the whole child. That means we pay as much attention to their health and wellness as we do to their learning.
We are proud of our ongoing efforts to ensure that no educator is ever left behind. But this year is different. This year we sealed a promise with the school district. The fight for equal pay is no longer just our union’s. This year, APS has shared our priority to have equitable raises for all the licensed staff that ATF proudly represents.
To clarify, APS has agreed to guarantee equal pay, in perpetuity, between teachers and all Essential and Related Service Educators (E&RSEs). This is a major victory. Your union and the district have agreed to dissolve the Career Pathway System (CPS) because the original goal of the system, to ensure equitable pay, has been realized. Now, E&RSEs will advance through the 3-tiered salary system based on their years of experience, educational level, and state licensure level. There are still details to be worked out in the tentative agreement pasted below.
Change can be a long time coming. But this victory demonstrates the fruit of your union’s tenacity. This agreement epitomizes the foundational underpinnings of unionism: All boats must rise together. No role group or individual is worth less than any other. When we all stand together in solidarity, we can truly move mountains.
Union members, this victory is yours. You have stood shoulder to shoulder and fought for this year after year. Your commitment to collective strength through union membership is being rewarded.
If you are not yet a member of your union, what on earth are you waiting for? Your union is poised to achieve great things. You must be a part of the work. Click here to JOIN YOUR UNION TODAY at atfunion.org.
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Tentative Agreement
Salary matrices for the 2022-2023 school year for the
Albuquerque Teachers Federation Bargaining Unit
The Albuquerque Public Schools and the Albuquerque Teachers Federation agree to the following for the 2022-2023 school year:
- All employees on Salary Matrix AT1 will start at $50,000 base salary.
- All employees on Salary Matrix AT2 will start at $60,000 base salary.
- All employees on Salary Matrix AT3 will start at $70,000 base salary.
- All employees currently placed on Salary Matrix A-2 (Speech/Language Pathologists, Physical Therapists, Audiologists, Occupational Therapist, Orientation/Mobility Specialists) will be merged with AT1, AT2, and AT3 matrices with the guarantee of the newly established base salaries for each level.
- All employees currently placed on Salary Matrix A-3 (Educational Diagnosticians, School Psychologists, Transition Specialists/Rehabilitation Counselors, and BCBAs) will be merged with the AT3 matrix with the guarantee of the newly established base salary and ten (10) additional workdays paid through an extended contract.
- The District is committed to attracting and retaining the essential personnel (listed below) whose services are indispensable for meeting the needs of all students, in particular those who are at risk. As such, the Albuquerque Public Schools has a goal, in perpetuity, to ensure that these employees receive equitable raises in comparison to their teacher colleagues.
- Audiologists
- Orientation and Mobility Specialists
- Counselors
- Physical Therapists
- Interpreters for the Deaf
- Social Workers
- Nurses
- Speech and Language Pathologists
- Occupational Therapists
- Athletic Trainers
- COTAs
- PTAs
- Diagnosticians
- School Psychologists
- Transition Specialists/Rehabilitation Counselors
- BCBAs
- With this commitment, the Albuquerque Public Schools and the Albuquerque Teachers Federation agree to dissolve the APS/ATF Career Pathway System.
- Placement on the salary matrices will be based on the current language in Article 10, the APS/ATF Career Pathway System.
- The criteria for movement through the salary matrices from Level 1 to 2 and Level 2 to 3 for the above listed personnel will be based on a combination of PED licensure level and a minimum of three (3) years of successful practice at each level.
Note: Employees can refer to article 6.A.14-16. for information about the requirements for movement to the next salary matrix.
This tentative agreement is based on the pending approval of the budget by the Board of Education and ratification of the APS/ATF Negotiated Agreement by the Board of Education and the Albuquerque Teachers Federation.
Negotiations between the parties will continue and will include adjustments in the language in Article 10 as a result of this tentative agreement. Salary negotiations for Community School Coordinators and Behavior Management Specialists, both constituencies of the Albuquerque Teachers Federation, are still ongoing.
