FAQs - Salary Agreement

What will my salary be for next year?
In order to answer this you will need to have your years of experience (service credit) and number of upper division units taken after your B. A. or number of hours of district approved training, which have been accepted by the Fontana Unified School District. Using these, you locate your "cell" of the salary schedule, which is posted under Human Resources on the FUSD website. (Note: 15 hours of district approved training = 1 semester unit of credit.)

Will I get the "signing bonus" if I was hired in 1999-2000?
No. The signing bonus of $1,000 is a new benefit beginning with the 2000-2001 year. Employees initially hired to begin teaching in FUSD for the 2000-2001 year will receive this benefit.

Who is eligible for the "tenure" or "permanency" bonus?
Credentialed classroom teachers who completed their second probationary year in 1999-2000 will be tenured (or permanent) when they serve the first day of the 2000-2001 year. All such employees will receive the permanency bonus of $1,000. The only exception would be a person who was a second year intern in 1999-2000 but failed to complete the internship and obtain a preliminary or clear credential. In such cases, permanency is delayed and the employee would not receive permanent status and the bonus. You must hold a regular credential (non-emergency) in order to obtain tenure status and receive a bonus.

When will I get my retro pay for moving up on the salary schedule due to the new unit requirements for these classes or from the "professional growth" column?
If your request for retro salary advancement and verification of completed coursework was received in Human Resources by June 15, 2000, you should have received your retroactive pay on August 1. If all necessary paperwork was submitted and you did not receive your retro by August 1, it should appear on your September 1 warrant.

Do I qualify for the new "minimum teacher salary"?
In order to qualify for the state-supported minimum teacher salary, you must have at least a preliminary credential. Teachers with only an emergency or intern credential or a waiver will not qualify for placement in Class I.

When can I claim salary credit for district training?
There are two criterion for this:

• The program must be designated by the Staff Development Office as "eligible for salary credit" and
• You must participate in the training program on your own time/unpaid status.

If the district pays for my registration at a weekend conference, may I still request salary credit?
Yes. You will have to request the joint committee to review this unless the district has already offered salary credit for the conference. However, the basic issue is that you must be in unpaid status in order to make this request. If you attend on release time, you may not request salary credit.

Why should I bother to get an M.A. with the new salary schedule?
Among the reasons you should consider in developing your professional training plans are:

• It will allow you to move up on the schedule faster than sole reliance on course work or district training.
• You frequently need most of the units of an M.A. to complete credential requirements and it makes sense to plan both together.
• If you are not sure you will be able to remain in the Fontana Unified School District, you will need an M.A. to move up on the salary schedule in most other districts. An M.A., therefore, will give you more income security to respond to changes in your future.
• In order to pursue many specialized positions within education, you will need advanced degrees and certification which cannot be secured through district training.

Am I allowed to "bank" excess units over 60 (or 70 without M.A.) to be used to qualify for the professional growth class?
Only persons who were in Class IV in 1999-2000 are allowed to "bank" units. This was allowed due to the phase-in of the three steps of this class. There are very specific eligibility rules for "banking" units. Please refer to the contract language to evaluate your individual situation. In short, if you do not have 22 or more years of FUSD experience by June 30, 2000, you are not allowed to "bank" more than four units you will use to move to Step 18. All persons in Class IV in 1999-2000 are allowed to "bank" the four units for the initial move to Step 18.

Are Child Development Teachers eligible for the signing bonus and/or the permanency bonus?
No. These bonuses were established to improve our recruitment and retention of classroom teachers where we are experiencing severe shortages. We are not experiencing the same shortages of candidates for positions in the Child Development program.

Why do I need FUSD service credit only to be eligible for the new professional growth class?
A major part of the reason for developing this class was to enhance retention and career earnings of long-term FUSD employees. Therefore, eligibility is based on years of service in the Fontana Unified School District.

How do I obtain salary credit for non-district approved training?
A written request regarding information for non-district approved training credit should be submitted to the Associate Superintendent of Human Resources listing the agenda/content of the conference, meeting, etc., and a brochure that describes the event and number of days/hours involved. The Associate Superintendent will submit this information to the Joint Committee as required by the FTA/FUSD contract. Any training undertaken in this category must be accomplished while in unpaid status.

If you have any further questions about the new salary agreement, please send them to us using our online form.

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