Nunavut gov't, teachers' union ratify new collective agreement
In a news release Thursday, Nunavut's Department of Education announced the new agreement is effective from July 1 to June 30, 2028. Teachers will receive a nine per cent wage increase when the agreement comes into effect in July and another three per cent increase in July 2026 and July 2027.
Teachers will also become eligible for bonuses for continuous service, like other employees for the territorial government, and enhanced pay for Inuktut language skills.
Education Minister Pamela Gross said the new agreement ensures teachers have the support they need to deliver inclusive, culturally grounded education.
"This agreement reflects our sincere appreciation for the teachers who guide and inspire Nunavut's students every day. By strengthening compensation, enhancing language support and recognizing long-term service, we're investing in the people at the heart of our schools," Gross is quoted as saying in the release.
Justin Matchett, present of the Nunavut Teachers' Association, is quoted in the release as saying the agreement recognizes the government's and association's mutual respect for educators.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Axios
an hour ago
- Axios
Trump administration to release billions in frozen education funds
The Trump administration will release more than $5 billion in frozen funds for schools, the Department of Education announced Friday. The big picture: The administration has been facing bipartisan pressure to release the funds, with GOP senators issuing a public plea. Driving the news: The White House Office of Management and Budget completed a review of Title I-C, Title II-A, Title III-A, and Title IV-A ESEA funds and Title II WIOA funds and directed the Education Department to release them, department spokesperson Madi Biedermann said in an emailed statement. The agency will begin dispersing funds to states next week, she added. What they're saying: Sen. Shelley Moore Capito ( who was among the Republican lawmakers who signed onto a letter urging the administration to release the funding, said Friday that the funding supports critical programs people rely on. "The programs are ones that enjoy longstanding, bipartisan support like after-school and summer programs that provide learning and enrichment opportunities for school aged children, which also enables their parents to work and contribute to local economies, and programs to support adult learners working to gain employment skills, earn workforce certifications, or transition into postsecondary education, Capito said.

an hour ago
With student loan forgiveness under IBR plan paused, what it means for millions of borrowers
The Department of Education has paused the Income Based Repayment plan (IBR) in another significant move that alters the student loan repayment process for millions of Americans. The IBR plan cancels loan debt in full for borrowers who've made 300 monthly payments -- or about 25 years of payments. After that 25-year period, the plan cancels any outstanding balances and considers the borrowers' repayment obligation to be satisfied. Student loan advocates tell ABC News that borrowers are still being billed when their student loan should already be cancelled under the plan. "As of today, if you have been in debt for 25 years, you have a right under federal law to get your debt canceled, and the government is not honoring that law," Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC) Executive Director Mike Pierce said. This plan was statutorily mandated under the Higher Education Act and encouraged by the Trump administration's Education Department while the agency launches its new Repayment Assistance Plan. The recent pause was not announced but is listed on a Frequently Asked Questions page of the Federal Student Aid site. It is now causing worry and confusion for borrowers who have been left in the dark, according to student loan experts. Pierce said the government suspended the forgiveness plan for reasons that the administration hasn't explained. "We don't know how many people are affected by it, we don't know how many people will be affected by it in the future, we don't know why it's happening," Pierce told ABC News. "We're worried that this is just the Trump administration deciding that its judgment is more important than the judgment of Congress, and it's going to do whatever the hell it wants," Pierce added. ABC News has reached out to the Department of Education for comment on the communication of the IBR plan pause. Under the recent pause, IBR accounts are being audited for the number of qualifying payments it has received. Abby Shafroth, managing director of advocacy at the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC), called the pause both surprising and concerning for borrowers as many have met the qualifying number of payments, but say that they're still getting billed. "It has sort of quietly come out that [IBR is] still not giving people cancellation," Shafroth told ABC News. Shafroth described the situation as a "mess." She noted the IBR plan is the one program that the current Education Department has encouraged borrowers to enroll in, has said will provide debt forgiveness and that Congress clearly established and mandated. "The Department of Education really has to own this and fix it," Shafroth said. "If they don't fix it, it's both going to break down trust and it's going to cost a lot of people more money. I don't know how many people, but it's going to cost people more money," she said. According to Shafroth, borrowers will keep getting billed on debts that they no longer owe and, as a result, they could end up having to pay large tax bills in their 2026 tax year. IBR is one of four Income Driven Repayment plans that takes a percentage of your income for monthly payments, including the Pay As You Earn (PAYE), Income Contingent Repayment and the Savings on a Valuable Education or "SAVE" plans. Borrowers on the Biden-era SAVE plan -- about 7.7 million people -- will have interest charges return on Aug. 1 at the same time the Education Department said it's complying with a federal court injunction that blocked implementation of the plan. The interest restart comes as President Donald Trump recently signed into law his signature domestic policy agenda, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included a provision to terminate all current student loan repayment plans -- such as SAVE and other IDRs -- for loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2026. The plans will be replaced with two separate repayment plans: a standard repayment plan and the Repayment Assistance Plan, a new income-based repayment plan. However, these repayment plans are currently affected by legal challenges, according to a release from the department. The Education Department's recent student loan adjustments signal the Trump administration's shift away from former President Joe Biden's debt forgiveness plans. The department will create a Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee to address its upcoming changes. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said she wants to simplify the overly complex system. Contrary to borrower fears, McMahon told ABC News her agency's reforms aren't meant to be "punitive" nor does she want to see borrowers defaulting on loans. "When you are in default on a loan, you can't buy a house, you can't buy a car, so call [the department]," McMahon said, adding, "Just make sure that you are on the right repayment plan." "Be proactive and get back into one of the payment plans," she said. Meanwhile, Shafroth said this pause in the IBR plan potentially makes borrowers more distrustful and, in turn, further divides the borrower and the government. "It really alienates borrowers, and they stop trusting the government and stop, in some cases, repaying, or, you know, being responsive on their loans," she said. SBPC's Pierce warned this is a legal matter that borrowers are entitled to having resolved.


CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Federal government to release $66 million withheld from Colorado schools
On Friday, the Colorado Department of Education received notice that more than $66 million is being released by the U.S. Department of Education for public schools in the state. The funds earmarked by Congress for English language learners, teacher training, academic enrichment and to support the children of migrant farmworkers were expected on July 1, but were held back so the federal government could review whether the grants align with President Trump's priorities. Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Cordova issued a statement saying: We are pleased by today's notice that the US Department of Education (ED) will release funding for Title I-C, II-A, III-A, IV-A, and Adult Education and Family Literacy for the 2025-2026 school year. For the State of Colorado, last year we received: We anticipate similar allocations for the coming year. As soon as we receive the grant award notifications and - in partnership with the Office of the Attorney General - complete a review of the assurances, our team will begin working to provide grant award letters for these title funds to our school districts and BOCES. Federal dollars provide critical support for every child in Colorado - no matter where they live - to learn, grow, and thrive. We are grateful to US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and to the many educators, district leaders, community partners, elected officials, and public education supporters who advocated for the release of these much-needed funds. The state department of education says it was told the funds would begin to arrive on July 28. A week ago, Colorado received notice that $12.8 million of federal funds expected July 1 were being released. Those funds were for after-school enrichment.