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Your contract, explained

What your union contract decides, what state law decides instead, how to read your salary schedule, and where to find the approved agreement.

📂 Find your district's contract: District contracts: the official document as is plus a plain-English summary.

General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Your union contract, your district's plan documents and your retirement system decide the details for you. Before any decision about money, leave, retirement or your certificate, ask your building union representative, district human resources (or the benefits office), NYSTRS, or NYSED, as the page says. Facts here were checked Nov 7, 2026 from the official sources listed at the bottom. Example numbers marked FICTIONAL are made up to teach the math; they are not anyone's real pay.

1. What a teacher contract is (the Taylor Law)

In New York, public school teachers can form a union and bargain with the school board under the Taylor Law, officially the Public Employees' Fair Employment Act, Civil Service Law Article 14 (sections 200 to 216). The written result is a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), often just called "the contract". The state agency that runs this system is the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB).

Taylor Law basics
Taylor Law pointWhat it means for youSection
You may join (or not join) a union, and the union bargains for the whole unitYour local (for example, a teachers association) negotiates salary, hours and other terms for every teacher in the bargaining unit.§§202-204, Article 14
What can be bargained: "salaries, wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment"Pay, the school day, leaves, health insurance premium shares, grievance steps and more are set in the contract.§201(4)
Pension benefits are NOT bargainedBenefits of a public retirement system (your NYSTRS pension) are set by state law. A contract cannot change them; any retirement benefit negotiated anyway is void.§201(4)(a)
When a contract expires, its terms continueIt is an improper practice for the employer to refuse to continue all the terms of an expired agreement until a new one is negotiated (often called the "Triborough" rule). This protection can be lost if the union strikes.§209-a(1)(e)
Strikes are not allowedPublic employees may not strike. The penalty includes a payroll deduction of twice the daily pay for each strike day, plus possible discipline.§210
Some parts need lawmakers' approvalEvery agreement must print a notice that terms needing legislative action (for example, new money) take effect only after the legislative body approves them. The union must read this notice at the ratification meeting.§204-a

2. Who decides what? (the main cause of confusion)

Most mix-ups happen because teachers think the contract decides everything. It does not. Use this table to know whom to ask.

Who decides what
TopicDecided byAsk
Salary schedule, raises, longevity, stipends, coverage payYour contractUnion rep, district HR or payroll
Length of the workday and year, prep periods, duty periods, class size limitsYour contract (within state minimums)Union rep
Sick days, personal days, bereavement, sick bankYour contractUnion rep, HR
Health plan choice and your share of the premiumContract sets your share; the plan's own documents set what is coveredHR benefits office; the plan's member services
Pension (NYSTRS tier, vesting, formula)State law (Retirement and Social Security Law, Education Law)NYSTRS (see Retirement)
403(b) and 457(b) plansFederal tax law + the district's plan document and vendor listDistrict benefits office; the plan vendor
Probation and tenureEducation Law §3012 (state)HR; union rep (see Rights)
Evaluation (APPR §3012-d or NYS-STEPS §3012-e)State law + the locally bargained evaluation planPrincipal, union rep (see Observation)
Certification, registration and CTLE hoursNYSED regulations (Part 80)TEACH account; NYSED (see Certification and CTLE)
FMLA leave, Social Security, student loan forgivenessFederal lawHR; SSA; studentaid.gov (see Benefits)
Board policies (dress code, technology use, field trips)Board of education policy manualPrincipal; district website

3. Typical sections of a teacher contract

Contract sections
SectionWhat it usually coversQuestion to ask
RecognitionWhich job titles are in the bargaining unit (classroom teachers, nurses, counselors, teaching assistants may be separate units).Am I in this unit or a different one?
Salary schedule (steps and lanes)Your pay by years of service (steps) and education (lanes or columns: BA, MA, MA+30 and so on).Which step and lane am I on? When do I move?
LongevityExtra pay after a set number of years, often added on top of the top step.At which years does longevity start?
Stipends and extra-duty payCoaching, clubs, department chair, summer school, curriculum writing, often in an appendix.Where is the stipend schedule?
Workday and work yearLength of the teacher day, number of days, conference days, after-school meetings.How many after-school meetings each month?
Teaching load and preparation periodsNumber of teaching periods, duty periods and preparation time.Is co-planning time for ICT or ENL protected?
Class sizeLimits or guidelines on students per class, if any.What happens if a class goes over the limit?
Coverage payPay when you give up a prep period to cover another class.What is the coverage rate, and how is it recorded?
LeavesSick, personal, bereavement, child-rearing, sabbatical, jury duty, sick bank.Do unused sick days carry over? Is there a sick bank?
Health and other insuranceYour share of health premiums, opt-out payments, dental and vision (sometimes through a union welfare fund).What percent of the premium do I pay?
Grievance procedureThe steps to resolve a contract violation, with deadlines, ending in arbitration in many contracts.What is the deadline to file step 1?
Evaluation (APPR or NYS-STEPS)Observation procedures, often in a separate bargained plan.Is the evaluation plan inside the contract or separate?
Discipline and personnel filesYour right to see your file and attach a response; rep at meetings.Can I respond in writing to anything placed in my file?
Tuition reimbursement and course approvalPayment for graduate courses and how credits move you across lanes.Do courses need approval before I enroll?
Retirement incentivesSome contracts pay a local incentive at retirement. (It does not count in the NYSTRS final average salary.)Is there a notice deadline to qualify?
DurationStart and end dates of the agreement.When does this contract end?

Every district's contract is different. This list describes common sections in our own words; it is not a summary of any one contract.

4. How to read a salary schedule (worked example)

A salary schedule is a grid. Rows are steps (usually one step for each year of service). Columns are lanes (your education: BA, MA, MA+30 credits and so on). You find your pay where your step row meets your lane column.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLE The schedule and the teacher below are made up. Real schedules are in your contract. The explorer starts on Ms. Rivera's cell (Step 3, MA).

🧭 Salary schedule explorer (made-up grid)

Made-up schedule Not any district's real numbers. Tap any cell, or use the buttons, to move by step (down) and lane (right).

(step , lane )

In this made-up grid each step adds $2,000 and the lanes add $2,500 (BA+30), $5,000 (MA), $8,000 (MA+30) and $11,000 (MA+60). Real grids are uneven: steps near the top are often bigger, and many have longevity steps.

  1. Find yourselfA fictional teacher, Ms. Rivera, has a master's degree and is on Step 3. Her salary this year: $69,000.
  2. Step movementNext year she moves down one row to Step 4, MA: $71,000. That is $2,000 more, before any raise.
  3. Schedule increaseThe fictional contract also raises the whole grid by 2%. Step 4, MA becomes $71,000 × 1.02 = $72,420.
  4. Lane changeIf she finishes 30 approved credits beyond her master's before the contract's deadline, she moves right to MA+30: $74,000 × 1.02 = $75,480.
  5. Total changeFrom $69,000 to $75,480 is $6,480 in one year: step + schedule increase + lane change.
Words that confuse people:
  • "Step freeze": you stay on the same row for a year; the grid itself may still change.
  • "2% raise" may mean the grid goes up 2%, separate from your step. Ask whether a number is "on schedule" or "including step".
  • "Off-schedule" or "one-time" payment: paid once; it does not change the grid.
  • Longevity: extra pay after a number of years, often only at the top of the schedule.
  • Lane deadlines: many contracts require proof of credits by a set date to move lanes that year.

5. Scenarios with numbers

Example with made-up numbers All use the made-up grid above. Your contract's numbers and rules decide the real answer.

A. Master's + 30 credits: is it worth it?

Ms. R is on Step 5, MA: $73,000. She finishes 30 approved credits and moves to MA+30: $76,000.

  1. Lane move: +$3,000 every year from now on.
  2. Made-up cost: 30 credits × $500 = $15,000. If her contract reimburses $300 a credit up to 6 credits a year, she gets back up to $9,000 over 5 years → her cost ≈ $6,000.
  3. Payback: $6,000 ÷ $3,000 ≈ 2 years.
  4. Over 25 more years: 25 × $3,000 = $75,000 more pay (before tax and raises).
  5. Pension too: if her final average salary is $3,000 higher, a Tier 6 pension at 30 years (55%) is 55% × $3,000 = $1,650 more a year.

Check two rules first: which credits count for a lane, and the deadline to prove them.

B. A one-year step freeze

Mr. S is on Step 5, MA ($73,000). The contract freezes steps for one year, and the freeze is never made up.

Year 1 no freeze
Step 6: $75,000
Year 1 freeze
Step 5: $73,000
Year 2 no freeze
Step 7: $77,000
Year 2 freeze
Step 6: $75,000
  1. He stays one step lower every year until he reaches the top step (Step 15).
  2. Without the freeze he reaches the top in 10 years; with it, 11 years.
  3. Loss: $2,000 a year × 10 years = $20,000 over his career, plus a smaller final average salary if those years are his last ones.

Ask whether a freeze is "restored" later and whether the grid itself still goes up. A freeze near the top step costs much less.

C. "2% raise" vs. "2% on schedule"

Ms. T is on Step 3, MA: $69,000.

  1. Step only: Step 4 = $71,000 (+2.9%).
  2. Step + 2% schedule increase: $71,000 × 1.02 = $72,420 (+5.0%).
  3. 2% "including step": total raise only $69,000 × 1.02 = $70,380.

The same words can mean $1,380 or $3,420. Ask which one the contract means.

D. BA to MA

Mr. U is on Step 2, BA: $62,000. He finishes his master's.

  1. Step 3, BA next year: $64,000.
  2. Step 3, MA next year: $69,000.
  3. The degree adds $5,000 a year here; over 30 years, about $150,000 before raises.

NY Professional certification also requires a master's degree within set time limits; see Certification and CTLE.

6. How to read your real contract, step by step

Get the current contract and every Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) from your union rep, or find your district on our District contracts page. We do not copy contract text here; read the official document.

  1. Check the dates. Find "Duration" (often the last article). Is this the current agreement? Are there MOAs that change it?Newest MOA wins where it changes a section
  2. Check you are in the unit. "Recognition" lists the titles covered.
  3. Find the salary appendix. Usually at the back: one grid per school year. Pick the grid for this year.
  4. Find your row and column. Your step (years credited) and lane (degrees and credits). Write down the number.
  5. Read the notes under the grid. When steps move, lane deadlines, which credits count, longevity years.
  6. Compare with your pay stub. Salary ÷ number of pays = gross pay line. A mismatch? Ask payroll and your rep in writing.
  7. Keep a copy. Save the contract, MOAs and your step and lane record in one folder each year.

7. How a contract is approved, and where to find it

  1. BargainingUnion and district teams negotiate. Talks are usually private.
  2. Tentative agreement or Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)An MOA lists the changes to the old contract. Many districts sign an MOA instead of reprinting the whole contract.
  3. Union ratificationMembers vote. Under Taylor Law §204-a, the legislative-approval notice must be read aloud at the ratification meeting.
  4. Board of education approvalThe board votes on a resolution at a public meeting. The agenda and minutes usually name the parties, the MOA date and the years covered, but often not every term.
  5. Posting and filingMany districts post contracts and salary schedules on the human resources page. PERB also keeps a collection of agreements.

Where to look (official places first)

  • Your district's board of education page: agendas and minutes list contract approvals. Search for "Memorandum of Agreement" or the union's name.
  • Your district's human resources page: some districts post full contracts and salary schedules. Example: West Islip UFSD's Contracts page lists its teachers association agreement (July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2027) and teacher salary schedules (checked Nov 7, 2026).
  • PERB's agreement collection, hosted by Cornell's Catherwood Library, searchable by title and date: PERB Collective Bargaining Agreements. Coverage is uneven; many entries are older.
  • Your union representative: the fastest way to get the current contract and any MOAs.

Deer Park UFSD (what is public, checked Nov 7, 2026)

  • The board's open meeting agenda for April 26, 2022 lists a recommendation to approve a Memorandum of Agreement dated April 4, 2022 between the District and the Deer Park Teachers Association, covering July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2027 (agenda PDF). The agenda does not include the agreement's terms.
  • We did not find the full teachers' contract text posted on the district website. Ask your Deer Park Teachers Association building representative for a copy of the contract and all MOAs.
  • Because that agreement runs to June 30, 2027, watch board agendas in 2026-27 for a new agreement. If talks run past the end date, the existing terms continue (Taylor Law §209-a(1)(e)).

Third-party data (use with care)

SeeThroughNY is run by the Empire Center, a private think tank, not a government agency. It posts public payroll records by name and some contracts. Treat it as unofficial and confirm anything important with the district. Goal100 never posts anyone's personal pay or personal data.

8. Printable: my contract questions

My contract check-up

Fill in with your union rep or from your contract. Stays on this device.

What you type stays on this device only.

Sources

  1. NY Civil Service Law Article 14, Public Employees' Fair Employment Act (the Taylor Law), sections 200-216 (NY Senate) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
  2. NY Civil Service Law §201, Definitions ("terms and conditions of employment"; retirement benefits not negotiable) (NY Senate) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
  3. NY Civil Service Law §204-a, Agreements between public employers and employee organizations (NY Senate) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
  4. NY Civil Service Law §209-a, Improper practices, including 1(e) continuing an expired agreement (NY Senate) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
  5. NY Civil Service Law §210, Prohibition of strikes (NY Senate) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
  6. NYS Public Employment Relations Board (PERB): Collective Bargaining Agreements collection (hosted by Cornell ILR Catherwood Library) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
  7. Deer Park UFSD Board of Education, open meeting agenda, April 26, 2022 (item recommending approval of the Memorandum of Agreement with the Deer Park Teachers Association) (PDF) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
  8. West Islip UFSD Human Resources: Contracts and salary schedules (official district page) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
  9. SeeThroughNY (run by the Empire Center, a private think tank; third-party site, not official) (checked Nov 7, 2026)
  10. NY Education Law §3012, Tenure: certain school districts (NY Senate) (checked Nov 7, 2026)

Teacher Center · written for New York State teachers · last checked Nov 7, 2026. Robert Frost Middle School and Deer Park UFSD do not publish every local procedure online, so always confirm local steps with your building.