Nazareth Contract - Negotiation Toolkit

💰 Market Value Comparison Calculator

This compares what Nazareth pays at your step vs what a comparable district pays a teacher at the same step and lane. This is not a transfer analysis - it shows what your experience is worth at each district. A transferring teacher would likely start over at Step 1, making the gap even larger.

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Nazareth Annual Salary
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Comparison District
Annual Salary (Year 1)

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Annual Salary Gap
(Year 1)

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Total Gap
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Year-by-Year Salary - Same Step, Same Lane, Different District

🎯 Your Numbers - Use These in Negotiations

🧊 Step Freeze Impact Calculator

During the financial crisis, many PA districts froze step advancement for several years. Teachers lost those years permanently - they reached their step ceiling later than peers who weren't frozen, and spent extra years earning below-market salaries. Enter the details to calculate the real dollar cost.

Years of Teaching Experience

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Estimated salary lost
during freeze years

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Years delayed
reaching Step 16 max

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Northampton pays a
22-year MA teacher

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Nazareth pays you
today (Step 16)

District	Pays a 22-yr exp. teacher	vs. Nazareth today	Note

🎯 Freeze-Specific Talking Points

💻 FID (Flexible Instruction Days) - Virtual Day Policy

Pennsylvania allows up to 5 FIDs per school year (Act 158). FIDs count as full school days and do not need to be made up - eliminating the need for snow days to be tacked onto spring break. The question is how FIDs are implemented, and that's where districts differ dramatically.

Full Bell

Nazareth model - synchronous all day, regular schedule including specials

Async

Most districts - students work independently, teachers available as needed

1+1 Model

Some districts - 1 hr check-in AM + 1 hr PM, rest is student-directed

5 days

PA max FIDs/year - fully replace snow days if used

District	FID Model	Teacher Obligation	Student Expectation
Nazareth Area ⭐	Full synchronous bell schedule Includes ALL specials (art, PE, music, library)	Follow regular class schedule all day online; same obligations as in-person day	Attend every class period at scheduled times via regular bell schedule
Easton Area	Asynchronous (grades K-12)	Post assignments; available to support; no live classes required	Complete assigned work; submit within defined window
West Chester Area (example)	Hybrid - some live, mostly async	Post assignments; some synchronous check-ins optional	Log in by 9 AM to confirm attendance; complete assignments
PA Best Practice Model	Fully asynchronous OR 1hr AM + 1hr PM check-in	Post work AM; available via email/LMS; brief PM check-in; rest of day = personal time	Work independently; reach out for help; submit by deadline

🎯 FID Negotiating Points

📅

Nazareth's full bell-schedule FID is among the most burdensome models in PA Running a full synchronous school day online - including every special, every period - means an FID is indistinguishable from a normal school day for teachers. There is no reduction in obligation despite the emergency circumstance.

🎨

Specials teachers (art, music, PE) are disproportionately burdened Under Nazareth's model, every section must be taught live every period - even for specials that may see 5-7 different classes per day. A specials teacher with 5-7 different classes per day is doing the full workload of a normal school day from home.

✅

The ask: Shift to an asynchronous FID model Teachers post assignments the night before or early morning; students work independently and submit by a deadline; teachers are available via email/LMS for support during contracted hours. This is the standard model at most PA districts and is explicitly supported by PDE guidelines.

⏰

Alternative ask: 1-hour morning check-in + 1-hour afternoon check-in model Teachers host a brief synchronous check-in at start and end of day (total 2 hours); remaining time is asynchronous student work with teacher support available. Provides accountability without requiring a full 7-hour synchronous workday.

❄️

The calendar argument: 5 FIDs = no snow days added to spring break PA law allows up to 5 FIDs annually and they count as full school days. If the district uses all 5, no snow days need to be made up by extending the school year or cutting spring/holiday breaks. The FID model directly affects whether teachers lose personal/break time. A more workable FID model encourages teachers to support the program rather than resist it.

📋

FID policy is currently set by the board - it should be in the contract Nazareth's FID plan is a board-approved administrative policy, meaning it can be changed at any time without union input. Adding FID teacher obligations to the CBA - with defined hours, model type, and compensation provisions - protects teachers and creates predictability.

📌 Proposed contract language: "On Flexible Instruction Days, teacher obligations shall consist of: (1) posting assigned work no later than 7:30 AM; (2) being available via district-approved communication platforms during contracted hours to respond to student/parent inquiries; and (3) a maximum of two (2) synchronous check-in sessions not to exceed one (1) hour each. Teachers shall not be required to deliver live synchronous instruction for every scheduled class period during an FID."

📌 How to read this: Compares what each district pays at the same step. Key nuance on Parkland: Parkland pays significantly more at entry (Step 1 MA: $71,129 vs $58,836) but Nazareth's MA ceiling is actually higher (Step 16: $101,877 vs Parkland Step 15: $92,927). Parkland's $112,927 max is the Doctorate lane only. The starting salary gap is where Nazareth is most vulnerable.

📌 Data note: Northampton comparison uses the current grandfathered salary schedule - what Northampton teachers with equivalent experience actually earn today. This shows what the district values experienced teachers at, regardless of how they got there.

📈 Career Salary Progression - Nazareth vs Northampton Area (MA Lane)

This chart shows how a teacher's salary grows year-over-year at each district, starting from Step 1 and advancing through all available steps.

Annual Salary by Year of Experience (MA Lane)

Step	Nazareth (MA, 2024-25)	Northampton Area (MA, 2024-25)	Annual Gap + Cumulative

🔑 What This Shows

Northampton Area and Parkland both pay more at every step in the MA lane - from Step 1 through max
Nazareth's MA Step 1 ($58,836) is the lowest starting MA of all 11 districts
Northampton's new contract and Parkland both max at Step 15 - one fewer step than Nazareth, which is a one-year disadvantage for Nazareth teachers. Against Northampton's grandfathered 25-step schedule the comparison still favors Nazareth, but that schedule is no longer the new-hire standard. The honest framing: Nazareth teachers reach their ceiling one year later than most peers — and that ceiling is lower. Both problems are solved the same way: raise the dollar values at Steps 12–16.
Parkland Step 15 MA ($92,927) vs Nazareth Step 16 MA ($103,788) - but Parkland's Doctorate lane reaches $112,927; Nazareth has no comparable top lane

🔥 Inflation Erosion - Real vs Nominal Salary

Nazareth's contract raises in the early years (1%) are far below inflation. This means teachers' real purchasing power is declining despite getting a raise.

+1.0%

Nazareth raise 2024-25 & 2025-26 (BA Step 1)

~3.3%

CPI-U 2024 (national annual avg)

-2.3%

Real wage change 2024-25

+2.9%

Best year: Nazareth raise 2027-28

Nazareth Salary Raises vs CPI Inflation (2023-2028)

Real Purchasing Power - Step 1 BA Salary at Nazareth (2023 dollars)

Year	Nazareth Salary (Step 1 BA)	Nominal Raise	CPI (est.)	Real Change	Purchasing Power (2023 $)
2023-24	$55,668	-	-	-	$55,668
2024-25	$56,253	+1.05%	~3.3%	-2.25%	$54,435
2025-26	$56,815	+1.00%	~2.7%	-1.70%	$53,508
2026-27	$57,951	+2.00%	~2.5%	-0.50%	$53,240
2027-28	$59,632	+2.90%	~2.3%	+0.60%	$53,561
NET (5 years)	+$3,964	+7.12%	~11%+ cumulative	~-3.8%	-$2,107 in real terms

🎯 Inflation Talking Points

📉

Real pay cut in years 1 and 2 - confirmed by BLS dataNazareth's 1% raise in 2024-25 falls far below the Philadelphia metro CPI of 3.6% (BLS official). Despite receiving a raise, teachers' purchasing power declined ~2.55% in real terms.

🛒

5-year purchasing power loss: ~$4,200 in constant dollarsCumulative Nazareth raises (~7.1%) lag behind cumulative inflation (~14.7% per BLS Philadelphia metro). Real purchasing power at Step 1 BA falls ~$4,200. Since 2020, Northeast CPI has risen +22.6% (BLS) - far beyond any contract raises in that period.

📊

Back-loaded structure disadvantages teachersThe meaningful raises (2.0-2.9%) only arrive in years 4-5 of the contract. Early-career teachers and those near the step cap see the biggest real losses.

✅

The ask: front-load raises + inflation floorA minimum annual raise equal to CPI (with a floor of 3%) would protect purchasing power. This is a common provision in stronger PA teacher contracts.

🚧 The Step 16 Ceiling - A Career-Long Pay Cap

Nazareth caps at Step 16 ($103,788 MA+45, 2024-25). Northampton's current teachers advance through Step 25, earning up to $152,739. That's what Northampton thinks experienced teachers are worth - $48,951 more per year than Nazareth's ceiling.

16

Nazareth max steps

15

Northampton Area max steps (new contract)

$103,788

Nazareth Step 16 max (MA+45, 2024-25)

$152,739

Northampton Area max (Step 25 MA+30, current teachers)

$48,951

Gap: Nazareth MA+45 Step 16 max vs Northampton MA Step 25

Step Ceiling Comparison - Where Does Salary Growth Stop?

District	Max Steps	Starting (MA)	Max Salary (MA)	Salary at Step 16 (MA)	Gain Steps 16→Max
Nazareth Area	16 (terminal)	$58,836	$103,788	$103,788	-
Northampton Area (grandfathered staff)	25	$71,544 (MA Step 1)	$152,739	$128,345 at Step 15	+$48,951/yr at ceiling
Parkland SD	15	$71,129	$112,927	$92,927	+$12,293 at entry, +$9,139 at max
Easton Area	15	$66,500	$104,850	$96,690	+$7,664 MA at entry
PA Average	~20 (est.)	-	~$100K-$130K	-	-

🎯 Ceiling Talking Points

🚧

Nazareth's MA starting salary is the lowest of all 11 districts ($58,836)Even Bangor Area SD - the only district still without a settled contract - starts Master's teachers at $60,000. Parkland ($71,129) and Stroudsburg ($76,422) start MA teachers $12K-$17K higher per year than Nazareth. The starting MA gap is the single biggest weakness in the NAEA contract.

💸

The real issue: Step 16 doesn’t pay enough — and it takes one year longer to get thereA Nazareth teacher reaches Step 16 ($103,788) in year 16 and stays there. Northampton and Parkland teachers reach a higher ceiling — in fewer years. Northampton's new hire contract maxes at $95,787 (2024-25) rising to $112,287 by 2028-29, in 15 steps. Parkland reaches $112K in 15 steps. Nazareth takes one extra year to reach a lower ceiling. The ask: raise Steps 12-16 dollar values to $115,000+ at the top — don’t add steps, which would only delay peak pay further.

🎯

The ask: Raise the dollar value at Steps 12-16 — don’t add stepsAdding steps delays when teachers reach max pay, making the disadvantage worse. The correct ask is increasing what each existing step pays. Raising Step 16 from $103,788 toward $115,000+ (above Northampton's new hire ceiling and Parkland) would make Nazareth competitive on both dimensions: a higher ceiling, reached in 16 years. That’s one extra year vs. 15-step districts — a manageable ask if the dollar values are right.

📋

The BA lane dead-end at Step 8Teachers with only a bachelor's degree hit a sub-ceiling at Step 8 and must pursue graduate credits just to advance. This is an undue burden not present in most comparable contracts.

🗺️ Pennsylvania Teacher Salary Context

$72,248

PA avg teacher salary 2021-22 (NCES)

~12th

PA rank nationally (above US avg of $66,397)

$76,730

Philadelphia metro elementary teacher mean (BLS 2023)

-6.1%

PA real teacher salary change 2009-2021 (inflation-adjusted, NCES)

📉

PA real teacher salaries have declined -6.1% since 2009 (NCES)In inflation-adjusted terms, the average PA teacher earned less in 2021-22 than in 2009-10. Nazareth's 1% early-contract raises are part of this statewide pattern of purchasing power erosion.

District Salary vs PA Statewide Average

💼 Nazareth District Financial Health (FY 2021-22, NCES)

$104.4M

Total Revenue

$100.8M

Total Expenditures

~$3.6M

Operating surplus - district growing reserves

72%

Locally funded - strongest tax base in comparison group

💰

The district ran a $3.6M surplus and has an estimated $10M-$20M in reservesRevenue $104.4M vs. Expenditures $100.8M in 2021-22 (NCES/Ballotpedia). Districts consistently running surpluses typically accumulate 10-20% of budget as fund balance. For Nazareth's ~$100M budget, that's $10M-$20M in reserves. Exact figure: RTK request for the Annual Financial Report.

🏦

72% locally funded - but spends the LEAST per pupilNazareth has one of the strongest local tax bases in Northampton County (72% local revenue). Yet it spends less per pupil than every neighboring district. A strong tax base combined with low spending and growing reserves = financial capacity to pay teachers more.

📐 Per-Pupil Expenditure - The Damning Comparison (NCES FY 2021-22)

District	Exp/Pupil	vs. Nazareth	Local Revenue %	Student-Teacher Ratio
Saucon Valley SD	$20,498	+$3,392 (+20%)	73%	13.41
Pen Argyl Area SD	$18,661	+$1,555 (+9%)	61%	12.12
Bangor Area SD	$17,774	+$668 (+4%)	57%	13.91
Nazareth Area SD	$17,106 ← LOWEST	-	72% ← HIGHEST	14.36 ← HIGHEST

⚠️

Strongest tax base, lowest spending, highest teacher workloadPen Argyl gets only 61% of revenue locally (vs. Nazareth's 72%) yet still spends $1,555 more per pupil. Nazareth teachers carry the highest student load in the group (14.36 students/teacher). The district is extracting maximum value from its teachers while reinvesting the least.

🎯 Master Negotiation Argument Sheet

Key arguments for the next NAEA contract negotiation. Data-backed, ready to use.

💰 Salary Arguments

1️⃣

Nazareth's starting MA salary is dead last among all 11 districts Nazareth starts Master's teachers at $58,836. Every single comparable district pays more at entry - even Bangor ($60K, currently unsettled). Parkland ($71,129), Stroudsburg ($76,422), and Easton ($66,500) all pay Master's teachers $7,664-$17,586 more per year from day one.

1️⃣b

Highest workload + lowest investment in the county (NCES FY2021-22) Nazareth teachers carry 14.36 students per teacher - the highest ratio in the comparison group. Yet Nazareth spends only $17,106/pupil, the lowest. Pen Argyl, with 61% local funding vs. Nazareth's 72%, still spends $1,555 more per pupil. More work, less investment.

2️⃣

Parkland exceeds Nazareth's ceiling at Step 15 (MA: $92,927, Doctorate: $112,927) Northampton's new-hire contract reaches $109,887 (M+45) by 2027-28 - vs Nazareth's $103,788 (M+45, 2024-25). Both comparable districts exceed Nazareth's ceiling with one fewer step.

3️⃣

Early contract years are real pay cuts Years 1 and 2 of this contract (2024-25, 2025-26) gave teachers 1% raises while inflation ran ~3.3% and ~2.7%. That's a -2% to -2.3% real wage decline. The contract's own structure erodes purchasing power for the majority of its term.

4️⃣

Easton Area pays more despite serving a harder community Easton - larger, more urban, less local wealth - still averages $93,231/teacher vs. Nazareth's $87,595. If Easton can invest more in teachers, Nazareth can.

5️⃣

The district has the money: $3.6M surplus + estimated $10M-20M in reserves (NCES/Ballotpedia) Revenue $104.4M vs. Expenditures $100.8M in FY 2021-22. Strongest local tax base in the comparison group (72%). Accumulating reserves while offering below-inflation raises to teachers carrying the highest student workload in the county is a hard position to defend.

5️⃣

Nazareth can't use Monroe County as a downward comparison - Stroudsburg Area pays more Stroudsburg Area SD (Monroe County) starts BA teachers at $63,382 and MA teachers at $76,422 - $7,129 and $17,586 more than Nazareth respectively. East Stroudsburg Area SD (also Monroe County) starts at $52,985 BA / $62,366 MA, and is on an active 6-year contract through 2030. The district cannot point to Monroe County peers to justify lower pay - Stroudsburg Area alone disproves that argument. Nazareth belongs benchmarked against Northampton County peers, where it ranks dead last in MA starting salary.

6️⃣

Art teacher shortage is real and growing Pennsylvania, like most states, faces a growing teacher shortage. Underpaying Nazareth teachers relative to the market creates attrition and recruitment risk that ultimately costs the district more in turnover and substitute coverage.

📋 Specific Contract Asks (Priority Order)

🥇

Raise the Step 16 maximum salary - increase step values, not step count Adding more steps delays when teachers reach max pay and reduces lifetime earnings. The right ask is increasing what Steps 12-16 actually pay. A Step 16 max of $115,000+ (MA+45) would align with Northampton's new contract ceiling and Parkland, while keeping the 16-step structure intact. Teachers still reach maximum in 16 years — one year behind 15-step peers, but with a competitive ceiling rather than a lower one.

🥈

Increase starting salary to $60,000+ (BA) for next contract A $60K BA starting salary closes roughly half the gap with Northampton Area and puts Nazareth competitive for new teacher recruitment. This is the single biggest retention/recruitment lever.

🥉

Add a CPI floor clause (minimum 2.5-3% annually) Prevents the "real pay cut" problem that years 1-2 of this contract created. Common in stronger PA contracts and protects teachers against inflation without requiring the district to commit to large fixed raises.

4️⃣

Remove the BA lane Step 8 dead-end Teachers with bachelor's degrees should be able to advance beyond Step 8 without being forced into graduate programs. Or alternatively, provide district-funded professional development credits to help teachers advance lanes.

📊 Data Points to Cite in the Room

📌

Verbatim numbers to use:
• "Our starting MA salary ($58,836) is the lowest of all 11 districts compared - including districts on expired contracts."
• "Parkland starts MA teachers at $71,129 - $12,293 more per year than us, from day one."
• "Stroudsburg - a Monroe County district - starts MA teachers at $76,422. That's $17,586 more than Nazareth."
• "Even Bangor Area - the only unsettled district in the region - starts MA teachers at $60,000, more than Nazareth's active contract offers."
• "Parkland max salary is $112,927 at Step 15. Our Step 16 max is $103,788 - $9,139 less at the ceiling, and we take one extra year to get there. The right ask is raising our Step 16 to match or exceed Parkland's ceiling, not adding more steps."
• "Our 2024-25 raise was 1%. The Philadelphia metro CPI was 3.6% (BLS official). We took a 2.55% real pay cut."
• "Easton Area's average teacher salary is $93,231. Ours is $87,595."
• "Nazareth's 16-step structure takes our teachers one year longer to reach maximum pay than Northampton, Parkland, or Easton — and when they get there, the ceiling is lower. We’re not asking for more steps; we’re asking to raise what those steps actually pay. A higher ceiling reached in 16 years is still a strong structure. The current ceiling isn’t."

📎 Supporting Documents to Bring

This webpage (screenshot or print all tabs)
Nazareth 2024-25 Official Salary Schedule PDF (already on file)
NAEA Contract Extension SY2023-28 (on file)
Northampton Area SD 2024-25 salary schedule (public record)
Easton Area EAEA contract (public at eastonsd.org)
PA Dept. of Education average salary data (public)
BLS CPI data for Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metro

🔀 Custom Contract Comparison Builder

Pick districts, metrics, and chart type - mix and match freely. Steps metric is always inverted: fewer steps = faster to max = better.

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Starting MA Salary - District Comparison

📌 Steps metric is always inverted: Fewer steps = faster path to max salary = better for lifetime career earnings. In radar and score charts, a 12-step contract ranks above a 16-step contract. Note: Nazareth’s 16 steps is one year behind most peers (15 steps) — a real but minor structural gap. The more significant issue is what those steps pay. Districts without data for a selected metric are excluded from that metric’s comparison.