IBB approves one-year MOU offering two optional supplemental days for special-education teachers

The Moscow School District’s interest-based bargaining (IBB) team voted to add a memorandum of understanding that offers all special-education teachers an optional two-day supplemental contract for the 2025–26 school year.

The MOU, read aloud during the meeting, states: "All special special education teachers in the Moscow School District will be offered an optional 2 day supplemental contract for the 2526 school year. The 2 supplemental contract days can be used before the 2025–26 regular contract starts or after the 2025–26 school year ends or 1 day at the beginning and another day at the end of the 2025–26 contract." The group agreed by show of hands to include the MOU in the negotiation agreement for one year and to revisit it after the 2025–26 year.

Why it matters: the MOU creates a short-term, negotiated option intended to give special-education staff planning time and paid work outside the regular contract window. Board and union members debated whether building administrators should have the authority to require that one of the supplemental days be scheduled on a particular day to allow building-level planning, or whether both days should remain fully optional for the employee.

Most important facts: meeting participants repeatedly emphasized that the current language describes the days as optional. One participant summarized the MOU language and the short-term implementation plan: "It will become an MOU as part of the negotiation agreement for 1 year." Administrators reported that a one-time, building-specific request had previously worked well at the middle school, where a principal asked special-education staff to come in for one day of extra planning when a new teacher joined the building. That episode prompted discussion about whether the district should reserve limited authority to require one day in exceptional circumstances, but the group ultimately left the MOU as optional for the coming year.

Discussion vs. decision: the team distinguished discussion (possibility of district or principal discretion to require a day) from formal action (the MOU’s inclusion in the negotiation agreement for one year). The formal action adopted was to insert the optional two-day supplemental-contract language into the next-year negotiation agreement; the team did not adopt a change giving administrators blanket authority to require attendance on a supplemental day.

Next steps and follow-up: participants agreed to monitor how the option is used during 2025–26 and to revisit the issue at next year’s negotiations. The meeting record also notes that administrators may still request staff to use other existing contracted days for building-level planning, and that informal outreach (email invites to staff) could be used to encourage voluntary participation in building planning days.

Ending: The MOU will be added to the negotiation agreement for one year; the IBB team will collect experience and feedback during 2025–26 and return to the topic in next year’s negotiations.