Our district's salary scale states that teachers' receive a 4% increase each year. However, this percentage is actually a combination of both an annual and step increase. All other districts' salary scales which I have viewed have a negotiated annual increase that is constant when looking at, for example, step 1 of the 2010-2011 year as compared to step 1 of the 2011-2012 year. Then, there is a step increase on top of whatever is chosen for the annual increase. In other words, when I contract states, for example, a 4% increase, this percentage is not taking into account the step increase.

The percentage difference when comparing the top and bottom of the salary scale is shrinking as time progresses due to this "strange" way of calculating a salary increase. When the other (usual) way of calculating a salary scale is followed, the percentage difference between the top and bottom of the salary scale remains constant when progressing through several years.

Any thoughts on what can/should be done? From my calculations I'm confident this is not a mathematically sound way to create a salary scale. Please advise. Thank you for your help. Jack

Jack, I agree with you. Your system seems to punish those with more experience (or at least reward them less). As you already pointed out, the only way to keep the salary gap proportionally the same is to go to a purely proportional (i.e. percentage) annual raise.

I'm assuming, by the way, that the step increase is the same for everybody? How, then, do they determine the additional annual percentage? Do they take the median salary, determine what percentage would be necessary to increase that salary by a total of 4% (after including the step), then give everybody that same annual percentage increase? Or do they take the grand total of all teachers' salaries for the year, add the step for everybody, then determine what percentage is necessary to bring the total increase to 4%, then give everybody THAT percentage in addition to the step? (I think that second way is the same as using the mean [i.e. average] salary, rather than the median).