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 each district's schedule pays at the same step. (Step placement for a teacher who transfers is set by each district and is not modelled here.)

Current Step (Nazareth)

Current Lane (Nazareth)

Years Until Retirement

Compare Against

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Nazareth Annual Salary
(Year 1)

Comparison District
Annual Salary (Year 1)

Annual Salary Gap
(Year 1)

Total Gap
Over Selected Years

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

How the years are projected (assumption, not contract data): Nazareth uses its 2023-24 through 2027-28 Agreement schedules for 2024-25 to 2027-28. Northampton uses its 2024-29 agreement (Exhibits A–E) through 2028-29. Every year after a district's last schedule on file is projected at an assumed 2.0% a year, and the same 2.0% is applied to every district, Nazareth included (after 2027-28). East Stroudsburg uses its 2024-30 agreement (Schedule A) through 2029-30. Parkland, Easton and Stroudsburg schedules on file end in 2024-25, so from 2025-26 on they are projections. Each year the teacher moves up one step until the district's top step. Where a district has no lane matching yours, the nearest lower lane on its schedule is used and named in the results below. Don't quote projected years at the table as contract figures.

🎯 Your Numbers - Use These in Negotiations

🧊 Step Freeze Impact Calculator

A step freeze holds teachers on the same step for one or more years. Teachers who were frozen reach the top step later, and spend extra years earning below-top salaries. Enter the details to estimate the dollar cost at current (2024-25) schedule rates.

Source: step movement was frozen until the 2015-19 settlement restored it (The Morning Call, March 17, 2016). Freeze length varied by teacher, so set the years below to match your own history. The calculator counts two parts only: the freeze years themselves, and the final years before reaching the top step. It does not count the years in between, so it likely understates the loss.

Years of Teaching Experience

Step When Frozen

Years Frozen

Lane

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Estimated salary lost
during freeze years

Years delayed
reaching the top step

Lost by reaching
the top step late

Nazareth top step
for your lane (2024-25)

District	Pays at this experience (2024-25 schedule)	vs. Nazareth top step	Note

🎯 Freeze-Specific Talking Points

💻 FID (Flexible Instruction Days) - Virtual Day Policy

Pennsylvania allows up to 5 flexible instructional days per school year. 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.

⚠️ Unsourced — verify before citing: None of the FID statements in this section comes from a contract on file. That covers the 5-day limit, how "most districts" run FIDs, the Easton and West Chester models, and the statement that Nazareth's FID plan is board policy. Check them against PDE's FID guidance and each district's approved FID plan before using them.

Full Bell

Nazareth model - synchronous all day, regular schedule including specials

Async

Asynchronous model - 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
Proposed model (see language below)	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 more demanding than an asynchronous model 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. (Whether PDE guidance supports this model, and how many districts use it, is unsourced here; check before citing.)

⏰

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, 2024-25) 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. Parkland's figures come from its 2022-25 contract; its successor contract is not on file. The starting salary gap is where Nazareth is most vulnerable.

📌 Data note: Northampton comparisons use the 2024-29 Northampton agreement (Exhibits A–E, one 15-step schedule per year). A one-page "Hire prior to SY24-25" sheet has circulated. It carries no district name and is not part of the 2024-29 agreement, so this site doesn't use it until a Northampton-issued document confirms it.

📈 Career Salary Progression - Nazareth vs Northampton Area and Parkland (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, 2024-29 agreement)	Annual Gap (Northampton minus Nazareth) + Cumulative

🔑 What This Shows

Entry pay is the gap. At the same step on 2024-25 schedules, Northampton pays more than Nazareth at MA Steps 1–8 (by $5,567 at Step 1) and Parkland pays more at Steps 1–14 (by $12,293 at Step 1).
The top step is not the gap. Nazareth pays more than Northampton at Steps 9–13 and at Step 16, and more than Parkland at Steps 15–16. Northampton is ahead again at Steps 14–15 (by $93 and $1,749).
Nazareth's MA Step 1 ($58,836) ranks 9th of 11 on the figures shown; Bethlehem (one of the two lower districts) is shown at its 2022-23 schedule.
Summed over Steps 1–16 on the 2024-25 schedules (a district's top step repeats after it is reached), Northampton pays $21,168 more than Nazareth in total and Parkland pays $134,789 more, even after counting Nazareth's higher top step.
Northampton and Parkland both max at Step 15, one step fewer than Nazareth. Nazareth's MA top ($101,877) is higher than both (Northampton $95,787; Parkland $92,927). Parkland's $112,927 is its Doctorate lane; Nazareth has no doctorate lane.
This chart assumes one step per year. Parkland's schedule notes that its step numbers "do not refer to years of service."

🔥 Inflation Erosion - Real vs Nominal Salary

Nazareth's schedule raises in 2024-25 and 2025-26 (about 1% at BA Step 1; 2.0% and 1.5% at MA Step 16) are below the CPI figures used on this site. Where that holds, teachers' real purchasing power declines even though they get a raise. The CPI series here is the same one used on the District Comparison page (Philadelphia-area CPI-U, BLS). The 2025-26 to 2027-28 CPI values are projections, not measured inflation.

+1.05%

Nazareth raise 2024-25 at BA Step 1 (+2.0% at MA Step 16; teachers below the top also moved a step)

3.6%

Philadelphia-area CPI 2024-25 (BLS CPI-U, as used on the District Comparison page)

-2.5%

Real change 2024-25 at BA Step 1 (-1.5% at MA Step 16)

-3.0%

Real change at MA Step 16, 2023-24 → 2027-28 (-$3,030 in 2023-24 dollars; 2025-28 CPI projected)

Nazareth Salary Raises vs CPI Inflation (2023-2028; 2025-28 CPI projected)

Real Purchasing Power - Step 1 BA Salary at Nazareth (2023-24 dollars)

Year	Nazareth Salary (Step 1 BA)	Nominal Raise	Philadelphia CPI	Real Change	Purchasing Power (2023-24 $)
2023-24	$55,668	- (no 2022-23 schedule on file)	4.4% (not counted)	-	$55,668
2024-25	$56,253	+1.05%	3.6%	-2.5%	$54,298
2025-26	$56,815	+1.00%	3.2% (proj.)	-2.1%	$53,140
2026-27	$57,951	+2.00%	2.5% (proj.)	-0.5%	$52,881
2027-28	$59,632	+2.90%	2.3% (proj.)	+0.6%	$53,191
NET (2023-24 → 2027-28)	+$3,964	+7.12%	+12.1% cumulative (2024-25 → 2027-28)	-4.4%	-$2,477 vs the 2023-24 salary

Method (same as the District Comparison page): 2023-24 is the baseline year. Cumulative inflation compounds the CPI column from 2024-25 on, 1.036 × 1.032 × 1.025 × 1.023 = 1.121. Purchasing power divides each year's salary by the cumulative CPI through that year, so it is in 2023-24 dollars. No 2022-23 Nazareth schedule is on file, so the 2023-24 raise isn't known and 2023-24 inflation is not counted against it. CPI values are not from a contract document; confirm them with BLS before citing. 2025-26 to 2027-28 CPI values are projections.

🎯 Inflation Talking Points

📉

2024-25 raises were below inflationIn 2024-25 the schedule rose 1.05% at BA Step 1 and 2.0% at MA Step 16, while the Philadelphia-area CPI figure used on this site was 3.6%. That is a real cut of about 2.5% at BA Step 1 and 1.5% at the top step. Teachers below Step 16 also moved up a step, so their personal raises were larger. For 2025-26 (+1.00% at BA Step 1, +1.5% at MA Step 16) the CPI figure (3.2%) is a projection.

🛒

From 2023-24 to 2027-28, top-step pay is projected to lose 3.0% in real termsMA Step 16 rises from $99,879 (2023-24) to $108,576 (2027-28), +8.7%. Compounding the CPI column after the 2023-24 baseline (3.6% measured; 3.2%, 2.5% and 2.3% projected) gives +12.1%. On those figures the 2027-28 top step would be worth $96,849 in 2023-24 dollars: -3.0%, or -$3,030. The same method gives -4.4% (-$2,477) at BA Step 1. These are projections until the 2025-28 CPI is published.

📊

Back-loaded structure disadvantages teachers at the top stepThe larger schedule raises (2.0-2.9% at BA Step 1) only arrive in 2026-27 and 2027-28, years 4-5 of the 2023-28 agreement. Teachers at Step 16 get no step movement, so the schedule raise is their whole raise.

✅

The ask: front-load raises + inflation floorA minimum annual raise tied to CPI (for example, with a floor of 3%) would protect purchasing power.

🚧 The Step 16 Ceiling - Where Nazareth Is Strong, and Where It Isn't

Nazareth's schedule tops out at Step 16: $101,877 in the MA lane and $103,788 at M+45 (2024-25). On MA-lane maximums, $101,877 is the highest of the 11 districts shown. At M+45 it is $1,101 above Northampton's 2024-25 top ($102,687) and $1,139 below Parkland's ($104,927). Where Nazareth trails is the climb: Northampton, Parkland and Easton reach their top in 15 steps and pay more at the entry steps.

Nazareth max steps

Northampton Area max steps (2024-29 agreement)

$101,877

Nazareth Step 16 MA (2024-25) - highest MA-lane max of the 11

$95,787

Northampton Step 15 MA max (2024-25)

$5,567

Northampton's MA Step 1 lead over Nazareth ($64,403 vs $58,836)

Step Ceiling Comparison - Where Does Salary Growth Stop? (MA lane, 2024-25)

District (2024-25 schedule)	Max Steps	Starting (MA)	Max Salary (MA lane)	Salary at Step 16 (MA)	vs Nazareth (entry / max)
Nazareth Area	16 (terminal)	$58,836	$101,877	$101,877	-
Northampton Area (2024-29 agreement)	15	$64,403	$95,787	$95,787 (Step 15 = max)	+$5,567 at entry; -$6,090 at max
Parkland SD (2022-25 contract, expired)	15	$71,129	$92,927	$92,927 (Step 15 = max)	+$12,293 at entry; -$8,950 at max
Easton Area (2022-25 contract, expired)	15	$66,500	$96,690	$96,690 (Step 15 = max)	+$7,664 at entry; -$5,187 at max

🎯 Ceiling Talking Points

🚧

Nazareth's MA starting salary ($58,836) ranks 9th of 11That is 9th of 11 on the figures shown; Bethlehem (one of the two lower districts) is shown at its 2022-23 schedule. Bangor started Master's teachers at $60,000 on its 2023-24 schedule. Parkland ($71,129) and Stroudsburg ($76,422) started MA teachers $12,293 and $17,586 higher in 2024-25. The starting MA gap is the single biggest weakness in the NAEA contract.

💸

The real issue is the climb, not the top stepA Nazareth teacher reaches Step 16 ($101,877 MA, 2024-25) in year 16. Northampton tops out at $95,787 in 15 steps, and Parkland at $92,927. Nazareth's top step is higher, but the years before it pay less: Northampton pays more at MA Steps 1–8 and Parkland at Steps 1–14. Like-for-like in 2027-28, Nazareth's MA top is $108,576 against Northampton's $102,987. Adding steps would only delay peak pay further.

🎯

The ask: raise the dollar value at the entry and middle steps — don't add stepsAdding steps delays when teachers reach max pay. The documented gap is at Steps 1–8, where Northampton pays $1,432 to $5,567 more per step than Nazareth, and Parkland about $12,300 to $12,700 more. Raising those steps targets the gap the comparison data actually shows.

📋

The BA lane dead-end at Step 8Nazareth's B lane has no salary after Step 8; a teacher must reach B+12 to keep advancing. Each of the other 10 schedules on file lists BA-lane salaries through its top step.

🗺️ Pennsylvania Teacher Salary Context

Estimate — source needed: none of the statewide or district-finance figures on this tab comes from a contract or source file on hand. Confirm each one with NCES, BLS or the PDE Annual Financial Reports before citing it.

$72,248

PA avg teacher salary 2021-22 (NCES; estimate — source needed)

~12th

PA rank nationally, US avg $66,397 (estimate — source needed)

$76,730

Philadelphia metro elementary teacher mean (BLS 2023; estimate — source needed)

-6.1%

PA real teacher salary change 2009-2021 (NCES; estimate — source needed)

📉

PA real teacher salaries reportedly declined 6.1% from 2009 to 2021 (NCES; estimate — source needed)If confirmed, the average PA teacher earned less in 2021-22 than in 2009-10 in inflation-adjusted terms. Nazareth's 2024-25 and 2025-26 schedule raises (about 1% at BA Step 1) fit that pattern.

Starting MA Salary by District (contract figures; 2024-25 unless labelled)

💼 Nazareth District Financial Health (FY 2021-22, NCES; estimate — source needed)

$104.4M

Total Revenue (FY21-22, historical; estimate — source needed)

$100.8M

Total Expenditures (FY21-22, historical; estimate — source needed)

~$3.6M

Surplus FY21-22 — single year, not recurring

~$121M

Current Budget FY26-27 (reported, +4.1% tax; estimate — source needed)

72%

Share of revenue from local sources (estimate — source needed)

💰

Use FY21-22 data as historical context — verify current figures via RTKRevenue $104.4M vs. Expenditures $100.8M in FY2021-22 (NCES/Ballotpedia). Current reporting places the FY2026-27 budget at ~$121M with a 4.1% tax increase and officials citing deficit concerns (WFMZ). The FY21-22 $3.6M surplus is a single historical data point, not an annual recurring figure — do not present it as such. Exact current reserves: RTK request for the Annual Financial Report.

🏦

Local revenue share and per-pupil spending (estimate — source needed)In the NCES FY2021-22 figures below, Nazareth drew 72% of revenue locally and spent $17,106 per pupil. Those figures cover only 4 of the 11 districts. Confirm them for all 11 districts, same fiscal year, before using them in an affordability argument.

📐 Per-Pupil Expenditure (NCES FY 2021-22; estimate — source needed; 4 of 11 districts)

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	-	72%	14.36

⚠️

What this table shows, if confirmedPen Argyl got 61% of revenue locally (vs. Nazareth's 72%) yet spent $1,555 more per pupil, and Nazareth's 14.36 students per teacher was above the other three districts in this table. This table covers 4 of the 11 districts. Confirm with PDE Annual Financial Reports for all 11 districts, same fiscal year, before citing.

🎯 Master Negotiation Argument Sheet

Key arguments for the next NAEA contract negotiation. Salary figures are from the contract documents on file and are 2024-25 unless a year is given. Items marked "estimate — source needed" must be confirmed before use.

💰 Salary Arguments

1️⃣

Nazareth's starting MA salary ranks 9th of 11 Nazareth starts Master's teachers at $58,836 (2024-25). That is 9th of 11 on the figures shown; Bethlehem (one of the two lower districts) is shown at its 2022-23 schedule. Eight districts start higher, including Bangor ($60,000 on its 2023-24 schedule). Stroudsburg ($76,422), East Stroudsburg ($72,666), Parkland ($71,129), Easton ($66,500) and Northampton ($64,403) pay Master's teachers $5,567-$17,586 more per year from day one.

1️⃣b

Student load and per-pupil spending (NCES FY2021-22; estimate — source needed) In the NCES figures on the PA Rankings tab, Nazareth had 14.36 students per teacher and spent $17,106 per pupil. Saucon Valley, Pen Argyl and Bangor had 12.12-13.91 students per teacher and spent $17,774-$20,498 per pupil. Pen Argyl, with 61% local funding vs. Nazareth's 72%, spent $1,555 more per pupil. That table covers only 4 of the 11 districts; confirm with PDE data before citing.

2️⃣

Our ceiling is competitive; our entry and middle steps are not On MA-lane maximums, Nazareth's $101,877 (2024-25) is the highest of the 11 districts shown (next: East Stroudsburg $98,255, Easton $96,690). At M+45, Nazareth's $103,788 is $1,101 above Northampton's $102,687 and $1,139 below Parkland's $104,927. In 2027-28, Nazareth's M+45 top ($110,613) is $726 above Northampton's ($109,887). The gap is below the top: at the same MA step, Northampton pays more at Steps 1–8 and Parkland pays more at Steps 1–14.

3️⃣

2024-25 raises fell below inflation In 2024-25 (year 2 of the 2023-28 agreement) the schedule rose 1.05% at BA Step 1 and 2.0% at MA Step 16, against a 3.6% Philadelphia-area CPI figure. That is a real decline of about 2.5% at BA Step 1 and 1.5% at the top step. Teachers below Step 16 also moved up a step, so their personal raises were larger. For 2025-26 the CPI figure (3.2%) is a projection.

4️⃣

Easton Area pays more at entry Easton's 2024-25 schedule (its 2022-25 contract has expired) starts BA teachers at $62,930 and MA teachers at $66,500, $6,677 and $7,664 above Nazareth. Easton pays more than Nazareth at every MA step through Step 15; Nazareth's Step 16 ($101,877) is above Easton's top ($96,690). The average-salary comparison formerly shown here ($93,231 vs $87,595) is an estimate — source needed; don't cite it until it is confirmed.

5️⃣

Affordability argument — base it on recent RTK data, not the FY21-22 snapshot Revenue $104.4M vs. Expenditures $100.8M in FY 2021-22 showed a $3.6M surplus — but current FY2026-27 reporting shows a $121M budget with a 4.1% tax increase and district officials citing deficit concerns. ⚠️ Do not present the FY21-22 surplus as a recurring annual figure; the district will challenge this immediately. Instead, obtain current audited financials via RTK and make an affordability argument from verified, up-to-date numbers. The 72% local-revenue share (NCES FY2021-22) is an estimate — source needed; confirm it before using it.

5️⃣

Nazareth can't use Monroe County as a downward comparison - Stroudsburg Area pays more at entry Stroudsburg Area SD (Monroe County) started BA teachers at $63,382 and MA teachers at $76,422 in 2024-25, $7,129 and $17,586 more than Nazareth. Its 2021-25 contract has expired and the successor is not on file. East Stroudsburg Area SD (also Monroe County) started at $63,385 BA / $72,666 MA in 2024-25 under its 2024-30 contract, $7,132 and $13,830 more than Nazareth. The district cannot point to Monroe County peers to justify lower entry pay - both Monroe County districts disprove that argument. Among the Northampton County districts shown, Northampton ($64,403), Easton ($66,500), Saucon Valley ($63,960) and Bangor ($60,000, 2023-24) all start MA teachers above Nazareth; Pen Argyl ($51,425) and Bethlehem ($55,235, 2022-23) start lower.

6️⃣

Starting pay is a recruitment issue A new teacher comparing offers sees the entry gap first: on the figures shown, 8 of the other 10 districts start MA teachers higher than Nazareth, and 7 start BA teachers higher. Pay that trails the market at entry creates recruitment and attrition risk, which costs the district in turnover and substitute coverage. (For statewide shortage figures, cite PDE certification data before using them.)

📋 Specific Contract Asks (Priority Order)

🥇

Raise entry and early-step pay - increase step values, not step count Adding more steps delays when teachers reach max pay and reduces lifetime earnings. The comparison data shows the gap at the early steps: at MA Steps 1–8 (2024-25), Northampton pays $1,432–$5,567 more per step and Parkland about $12,300–$12,700 more. Our MA top step ($101,877) is already the highest MA-lane maximum of the 11 districts, so a ceiling argument is weaker than an entry-pay argument. Keep the 16-step structure and raise what the early and middle steps pay.

🥈

Increase starting salary to $60,000+ (BA) for next contract Measured against 2024-25 figures, a $60,000 BA start would close $3,747 of the $5,002 gap with Northampton Area ($61,255), about 75%. Northampton's BA start rises to $70,855 by 2028-29 under its agreement, so the next contract's target should be set against that year. Entry pay is the single biggest recruitment lever.

🥉

Add a CPI floor clause (minimum 2.5-3% annually) Prevents the "real pay cut" problem seen in 2024-25 (and, on projected CPI, 2025-26). It protects teachers against inflation without requiring the district to commit to large fixed raises.

4️⃣

Remove the BA lane Step 8 dead-end Teachers in the B lane have no salary step after Step 8 and must reach B+12 to keep advancing. Remove the cap, or provide district-funded credits to help teachers move lanes.

📊 Data Points to Cite in the Room

📌

Verbatim numbers to use:
• "Our starting MA salary, $58,836 in 2024-25, ranks 9th of the 11 districts compared. Bethlehem, one of the two districts below us, is shown at its 2022-23 schedule."
• "Parkland's 2024-25 schedule starts MA teachers at $71,129 - $12,293 more per year than us, from day one."
• "Stroudsburg - a Monroe County district - started MA teachers at $76,422 in 2024-25. That's $17,586 more than Nazareth."
• "Northampton's 2024-29 agreement starts MA teachers at $64,403, $5,567 more than us, and pays more than we do at every MA step from 1 through 8."
• "Even Bangor Area, on its 2023-24 schedule, started MA teachers at $60,000, more than our 2024-25 starting MA salary."
• "Our top step is not the problem. Our MA maximum, $101,877, is the highest MA-lane maximum of the 11 districts. The problem is the years before it. On the 2024-25 schedules, sixteen years of moving up one step a year pays $21,168 more in total at Northampton and $134,789 more at Parkland, even counting our higher top step."
• "In 2024-25 our schedule rose 1.05% at BA Step 1 and 2.0% at the top step. The Philadelphia-area CPI was 3.6%. A teacher at the top step, who gets no step increase, took a 1.5% real pay cut." (Confirm the 3.6% CPI figure with BLS before using this line.)
• "Easton's 2024-25 schedule starts MA teachers at $66,500 - $7,664 more than us."
• "Nazareth's 16-step schedule takes one year longer to reach the top than Northampton, Parkland or Easton, which have 15 steps each. Our top step is competitive; the money is lost on the way up. We're not asking for more steps. We're asking to raise what the early and middle steps pay."

📎 Supporting Documents to Bring

This webpage (screenshot or print all tabs)
Nazareth 2024-25 salary schedule (in the Agreement, printed p. 5)
NAEA Agreement, 2023-24 through 2027-28 (on file)
Northampton Area SD 2024-29 agreement, Exhibits A–E (salary schedules)
Easton Area EAEA contract, 2022-25 (on file)
PA Dept. of Education average salary data (public)
BLS CPI-U, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (the series used on this site)

💪 Nazareth Contract - Negotiation Toolkit