Grosse Ile Education Association

01/24/2026

In solidarity with our union brothers and sisters, we've been there too many times ourselves. Don't back down, keep up the fight for what you deserve! Share with your Ann Arbor friends and family to let them know what's going on and support their local teachers!

Ann Arbor teachers are without a contract for the first time since 1994.

Read more: https://shorturl.at/ikCJu

02/14/2025

Great news! We have a contract!

The last time we posted an update, things were looking bleak. We were at an impasse with the District and were heading into a long fact finding process. Thankfully, our union leadership and Superintendent Kalisz were able to come up with a solution prior to fact finding that include a 2 year contract with guaranteed steps for the 24-25 and 25-26 school years (with a wage reopener at the end of this school year), positive changes in contract language for both Grosse Ile Teachers and the District, and make-rights for teachers who were frozen in years past and are now being paid equal to their years of service.

Reaching this agreement is in thanks to YOU! The members of the union and the public who made their voices heard helped our union leaders make this agreement happen. We are extremely grateful for your ongoing support so we can put our full focus on what we love, supporting our students.

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11/27/2024

🌟 Spreading Positivity This Holiday Season! 🌟

Ms. Gerbi’s Behavior Studies A class has been rocking it with their holiday mental wellness project! 💙 They’ve transformed our high school halls with uplifting words, tips for spreading joy, gratitude, and kindness, and all-around good vibes for the season. 🎄✨

Their efforts are a beautiful reminder of how small acts can create big waves of positivity. 💫 We’re so proud and thankful for these amazing students and the community they’re building! 🙌

GITS teachers, let’s keep the good vibes rolling—send us the awesome things happening in your classrooms so we can celebrate you!

Wishing everyone a safe, restful, and gratitude-filled Thanksgiving! 🦃🥧

Lots of Love going on at GIHS!!!!!

11/26/2024

Please consider attending tonight's Board meeting to support your GITS teachers! Community members are encouraged to attend and share your students' positive experiences with Grosse Ile teachers. GI teachers are encouraged to attend and share how the lack of a contract has had an impact on you.

With the meeting being the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, we understand the timing is inconvenient. However, your presence and voice could make a significant difference in ensuring fair treatment and wages for the teachers who work tirelessly for our students. Thank you for your continued support!

Send a message to learn more

11/24/2024

This Tuesday, November 26, the Board of Education will hold their regular televised meeting. The GIEA urges community members to attend and share your students' positive experiences with Grosse Ile teachers.

With the meeting being the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, we understand the timing is inconvenient. However, your presence and voice could make a significant difference in ensuring fair treatment and wages for the teachers who work tirelessly for our students.

It has been 146 days since our contract expired and 233 days since negotiations with the Board of Education began. Despite this, the Board’s best offer has only included a 1% raise for all teachers. This offer does not reflect the dedication of our educators, especially given the following facts:

1) The district received a 3% increase in discretionary funding per pupil this year.
2) GITS gained $1.5 million in new revenue last year, yet only one-third of it went toward teacher salary increases. Where did the rest of the funds go, including nearly $1 million in deficit spending?
3) The district’s legal fees have tripled over the past two years.

With your support and voices, we hope the District will make the right decision and support our teachers. Please like and share this post to get as much outreach as possible. Thank you for your support, together, we can make a meaningful impact!

11/23/2024

We are incredibly thankful to James Ochab, his family, and everyone in the community who helped organize this turkey giveaway for our GITS staff and faculty. A welcome surprise before the Thanksgiving break, we are constantly reminded that we are a part of a wonderful and supportive community. Thanks to the teachers and district staff that passed along their turkey pictures for us to use to share our gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving!

11/11/2024

Grosse Ile educators are dedicated to shaping our students' futures, but our pay still lags behind neighboring districts. Over a 30-year career, a Grosse Ile teacher earns about 10% less—amounting to up to $260,000 less over a career than colleagues in nearby areas.

This gap impacts more than just salaries; it affects secure retirements, family support, and the ability to invest back into our community. It’s time to bridge this gap! We deserve wages that reflect our hard work, match the cost of living, and support fulfilling careers right here in Grosse Ile.
Join us in advocating for fair pay that values our teachers and strengthens our community! 💪

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11/08/2024

📢Fact Check Friday!📢

The Board gave our teachers a step increase this year, but not in “good faith” as they claimed. The Board disagreed with a contract clause that required them to grant steps this year. They only agreed to it after the GIEA was forced to consider legal action.

Meanwhile, our hard-working administrators got a multi-year contract with a step each year and a 1-3% raise. Congrats to them, they deserve every penny and we are glad they got a raise! Now, we’re hoping it’s our turn to see the same commitment from the Board! 💼💪

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11/06/2024

Day 128 without a contract... As we mentioned on Monday’s post, our veteran teachers who have faithfully served Grosse Ile Township Schools for many years have been offered very little in return over the last 15 years.

To start, the percentages that the district released in their statement regarding Grosse Ile teachers that are NOT at the top of the pay scale, are accurate. However, they neglected to mention that the salaries for the veteran teachers at the top of the pay scale have only increased by an average of 1.15% each year over the last 15 years. Meanwhile, other districts have consistently offered 2-5% increases each year for their top-paid teachers, who already have salaries much higher than our own veteran teachers.

With the elections completed, hopefully the new voices that have joined the Board of Education will bring a new perspective to the table that will help find an amicable deal between our teachers and the Board.

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11/04/2024

It’s November, which means it's open enrollment for health insurance for many Americans. Make sure you enroll in your insurance plans to stay covered and your FSA/HSA to keep your medical costs down with pre-tax dollars!

Speaking of medical costs, did you know that the Grosse Ile Board of Education left out that part in their statement when they told the public the GIEA turned down their partial Tentative Agreement they sent us last Spring? The membership overwhelmingly voted against this TA because the offer from the District included a change in our health insurance that would potentially increase costs to GIEA families by thousands of dollars. Additionally, they offered 0% in any wages or cost of living adjustment for our long-serving teachers at the top of the pay scale. These dedicated Grosse Ile Teachers have had pitifully low raises as thanks for their years of service to GI Schools. More on that later!

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11/01/2024

It’s Fact Check Friday! Over the next few days, the GIEA would like to respond to the statement issued by the Grosse Ile Board of Education, with more information with each post.

Over the last few years, the district has delayed the start of negotiations. If a contract was not signed until after the new school year started, the district DID NOT have to pay back the increased wages for the time between the start of school and when the new contract went into effect. This state law was thankfully changed and took effect last Spring, so delayed negotiations will no longer result in lost wages for our members.

Then and now, the GIEA has been coming to the table in good faith. We have always wanted a fair deal for both the teachers and the district. However, one party brings an expensive lawyer to the table to negotiate in their best interests, and it isn’t the GIEA.

THANK YOU to everybody who has reached out to express their support and who showed up at the last school board meeting!! Your support means the world to the district’s teachers and families. To further support us, we encourage you to attend the next Board of Education meeting on November 26 and let the Board know about the positive experiences your children have had with Grosse Ile teachers. When the Board sees how much the community values its teachers, maybe they will start to as well.

10/21/2024

The Grosse Ile teaching staff has once again begun the school year without a contract. This is the fourth time in the last five school years this has occurred, which hasn't happened to any other teaching group in the state of Michigan. With the dramatic loss of teachers to other districts in recent years and the lack of competitiveness of our salary structure, please reach out to the GITS Board of Education to encourage them to support the educators in the classroom with our kids every day.