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School social workers, support staff press board for promised master’s pay
Summary
Multiple social workers and support staff urged the board to restore promised master’s‑degree pay and retroactive adjustments, saying delays and the district’s hiring choices have harmed morale and retention.
Several Durham Public Schools social workers and other support staff used the public comment period to press the board to reinstate master’s‑degree pay that the district had previously pledged to restore.
Nut graf: Commenters described the issue as an urgent retention and equity concern and urged the board and administration to fund master’s pay immediately, with retroactivity for this school year.
Speakers underlined personal and professional impacts. Sonia Lopez, a five‑year DPS social worker, said the board had publicly committed to reinstating master’s pay after the state’s 2013 change and that implementation has been slow: “Doctor Lewis, in November, when the board was ready to correct this mistake, you stopped the vote asking for 4 more days. You promised to deliver master's pay. That didn't happen,” she said. Lopez added that seeing a new assistant‑superintendent posting with a salary near the total cost of master’s pay for many staff was demoralizing.
A second commenter who identified herself as Sherita Gillespie, a school social worker at Northern High, described personal financial strain when the district had not provided master's pay earlier and urged swift corrective action: “Many of my colleagues work multiple jobs to make ends meet… The addition of Master's Pay would provide real relief,” she said.
School social workers and allied staff repeatedly requested retroactive relief for the current year and a clear “meet and confer” policy to formalize how district leaders negotiate compensation with affected groups. Commenters said they had participated in previous advocacy and union campaigns and that broken promises damaged trust with district leadership.
Board members did not take immediate action during public comment; the district’s finance presentation later acknowledged a local masters‑pay allocation in the county funding breakdown and said the administration is collecting accurate counts for local pay programs as it prepares the 2025–26 budget.
Ending: Speakers said they will continue advocacy at board meetings until master’s pay is restored with retroactivity; they asked the board to prioritize staff retention in upcoming budget discussions.
