The membership of the Montgomery County Association of Administrative and Supervisory Personnel (MCAASP) has ratified a tentative three-year contract agreement with the Montgomery County Board of Education. The tentative agreement would affect more than 500 school system management employees represented by the association.

The proposed agreement covers salaries, benefits, and working conditions from July 1, 2000, through June 30, 2003. The proposal calls for salary schedule increases of 5.125 percent the first year of the contract and 3 percent in each of the second and third years of the contract. The first year salary increase includes funding from savings obtained through a modification of the benefits program, which would align benefits with those provided for other employees and retirees.

The tentative contract includes a provision to reopen salary negotiations in the event the increase in the cost-of-living in the Washington Baltimore area reaches 4 percent or higher for the second and/or third years of the agreement.

The Board of Education is expected to amend its operating budget at its meeting on February 8, 2000, to include the necessary funds in its requested operating budget for Fiscal Year 2001 to incorporate the new agreements. The Board of Education is scheduled to approve the agreement on February 23, 2000, at the regular Board meeting.

The negotiations, which were concluded in January, incorporated the innovative interest-based bargaining process facilitated by a representative of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Both parties continue to be committed to the enhancement of collaboration and cooperation in their relationship.

The proposed agreement focuses heavily on the collaborative relationship between the Board and MCAASP. A joint Board of Education / MCAASP work group on collaboration is established to improve communications and "to create a positive work environment that best supports a policy of continuous quality improvement." Other joint work groups will review the principal evaluation process and professional development of administrators. The process for filling administrative vacancies, professional recognition, and tuition reimbursement were other issues addressed in the negotiations.