Holyoke School Committee member Jens outlines teacher pay plan to raise salaries more than 20%

Jens, a member of the Holyoke School Committee and a parent of two district students, outlined a pay proposal that he said would make Holyoke teacher salaries competitive with nine nearby districts and raise pay "more than 20% over three years."

He said the proposal would reward educators for years of service, education and professional licensure, and include annual increases at every step in each lane. "Our proposed structure provides salary increases for a teacher's time in the district, education, and professional licensure in addition to annual increases at every step in lane," Jens said.

The plan includes a top pay lane that would require a professional license, a provision Jens acknowledged has drawn criticism from the union. "The top lane would require a professional license, which the union has criticized," he said, and then offered context for the requirement.

Jens cited licensure rates to justify the emphasis: "96% of teachers statewide are licensed compared to 76% in Holyoke," he said, and added that the percentage falls to "57% when other essential members like counselors and speech therapists are included." He argued licensing establishes a professional standard for knowledge and skills and pointed to neighboring Springfield public schools as a reference point.

At the same time, Jens said teachers who are not yet licensed should not be worried and that the district is committed to supporting them through the licensure process. "Teachers who continue to have challenges to earn their license in good standing with the district will continue to be supported in their roles as they complete licensure requirements," he said.

Jens encouraged residents to visit the district website for details and urged the Holyoke Teachers Association leadership to give its membership an opportunity to vote on the latest proposal at their May 7 meeting. The proposal's specifics about total budget impact, funding sources and implementation timeline were not specified in the remarks.