Photo by Duay O'Neil David Bible, right, Newport Board of Education Director of Schools, affixes his signature to an agreement between the system and Newport Grammar School teachers regarding the use of money the system is scheduled to receive through Tennessee's Differentiated Pay Plan. At left are Dr. Janie Brown and Linda Powell, members of the school's negotiating team.

NEWPORT-"In light of the information you provided us, we decided to accept your proposal."

With these words, Linda Powell, chief negotiator for Newport Grammar School's Education Association members, told David Bible, NGS Director of Schools, that her members agreed to the board's plan to hire two additional teachers and keep one other teacher on staff with the funds the system is scheduled to receive through Tennessee's Differentiated Pay Plan.

The newly-hired teachers will be placed in grades seven and eight to help reduce pupil-teacher ration. One person will be a language arts teacher for seventh grade students, while the other will teach eighth-grade social studies. The teacher already on staff in the fourth-grade area will continue to be employed as a result of the agreement.

Before signing the agreement, Bible told the negotiating team, "Keep in mind the board has to approve this agreement, your association has to approve, as do Jackie Broyles and the state."

Powell said that she hopes a majority of the association's members will ratify the agreement during the school's two in-service days July 17-18.

"If we have to reword the agreement, we'll have to come back to the table," Bible ended.