Shelton Teacher Salaries Slightly Above State Average

A new free, searchable database on Connecticut teachers' contracts shows that have a slightly higher starting salary than the state average, and that while the city is on par with neighboring towns Monroe and Trumbull while pay and benefits offered exceed those of other Valley towns like Derby and Ansonia.

The database was developed by The Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN), a group dedicated to improving education throughout the state. It contains teacher contract information for more than 170 public school districts, including salaries, sick days, class sizes and layoff standards. The website also allows you to compare four contracts at a time, and every contract can be downloaded in .pdf format. (Shelton's full contact is attached).

Salary data for all distritcs reflects the 2011-2012 school year. Shelton's teacher contract began in 2011, and the city's annual report for that fiscal year shows that 51 percent of the education budget (about $32.6 million) was allocated to teacher and administration salaries.

Other Highlights

• In addition to being highest amongst the Valley towns, starting pay for a teacher with a bachelor's degree in Shelton is also higher compared to Fairfield, Darien and Easton.

• Shelton offers tuition reimbursement for its education employees, while Trumbull and Derby do not.

• With a class size limit of 30 students for grades K-12, Shelton is slightly above the state average, which ranges from 25-28. Ansonia's limit is highest at 32.

• Shelton teachers are paid for professional development days. Teachers in Derby, Monroe and Ansonia are not.

• Shelton teachers have the most prep-time of any of the Valley towns; they're contracted to be at school a full five days before classes start and students arrive.