School’s out for the Thanksgiving Break, but Hillsborough County teachers are still working.

  • Hillsborough teachers protest against district with 'grade-in'
  • Teachers held grade-in to show how much they do after hours
  • The district isn't honoring pay raise deal

They took their work to Brandon Town Center so the public can see how much they do for their jobs after hours.

"Often times after work hours teachers grade papers and lesson plan at their homes or find a little cubby hole at a coffee house and people don’t realize how much time we put into our jobs,” Valerie Chuchman, a chemistry teacher at Riverview High School, said.

The teachers set up shop in the food court, calling it a grade-in. It’s the latest move in a string of protests against the Hillsborough County School District for higher pay.

Under a pay plan put in place in 2013, teachers who get good evaluations for three straight years would be eligible for raises. But now the district says it doesn’t have the money to honor the agreement.

"I now have 19 years of effective teaching. I am now in my 20th year and I believe that should reflect on my paycheck,” Chuchman said.

Teachers also held grade-ins at Citrus Park Mall, International Mall, and the Tampa Premium Outlets.

"The idea is we honored our end of the deal,” Chuchman said. “We were effective for the last year and the district isn’t honoring their end of the deal."

The district said it honored the pay plan in 2015 and 2016 which cost about $17 million each year. It said it is no longer financially feasible.

Teachers said starting the week after break, they will work the contract, which means they will not talk with parents or grade outside of school hours. Another bargaining meeting will be held on December 4th.