That’s Some Good News
April 16th, 2008Last night the MRSD school board ratified the new contract, which the teachers approved on Monday.
The new contract removes the “evergreen clause,” meaning it will expire in four years and a new one will need to be approved in its place. In addition, there have been more changes to early retirement, removing it more quickly.
These are the primary requests made by the Monadnock Taxpayers Association when they fought against the last contract. I’m assuming, now that the two concerns they had about the contract are rectified, that their whole-hearted endorsement will come shortly. Given this contract is only a $600 raise for teachers (for the last 3 years!), and has teachers paying more of their health insurance, it seems like an easy decision to make.
More importantly, the School Board voted to move forward with a special meeting, which is absolutely vital. Teachers need to walk in next year with a contract and to feel like the district is willing to work with them—that there is support present. The school board is doing a wonderful job of making it clear they support the teachers—including approving $1500 for a teacher lunch in early May for teacher appreciation week.
But we need that special meeting, and we need a re-vote on the contract, and it needs to be approved. It’s time to figure out whether or not, when compromises have been made and a second deal struck, if people can band together for the success of the schools. It’s a chance for people to really show their true colors—to really show what they believe in. There’s no reason not to support a special election, no reasonable reason to not support teachers having a contract.
The laborer is worth his hire—but in this case, it goes deeper. We need to get the district to recognize that it’s going to take a great deal of community effort to make the school that we all really want it to be—I firmly believe this. I firmly believe people want a good school, and that it’s a lack of understanding¹ which impedes getting to where we want to go. Showing up to school board meetings, voting, and supporting the schools is something we all very much need to do.
First a contract—to guarantee the experienced teachers we need to keep stay with us. If we’re going to have a good school, then we need to build it with people who know what they’re doing—and that means paying them.
The flip side of all this, however, is it’s not going to just happen on its own. Again, I fully expect that anyone who does not have an agenda that is simply against public education will support this contract—there’s no reasonable reason why not. But it’s going to take a lot of people getting out there—teachers, parents, and community members—to make clear what’s at stake. If that means standing on the Common with a sign, then we ought to think about that—and make it happen.
1 I do wonder about some, I really do. But I’m willing to admit I might be wrong—but I do need to see some evidence, I do need to see some sign that it’s not a war against public education, not a war against the next generation—and I haven’t seen that yet. ↺
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Monadnock Regional School District, School Board, School Funding
April 16th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Last fall, a member of the MTA (who I will not name here out of courtesy) wrote a letter to the editor published in the Keene Sentinel that ended with the following:
“Keene voters, you get the first at-bat.”
We did indeed! After the first teacher contract was voted down, the Keene Board responded with what seemed to be neck-breaking speed. They listened to the feedback from the community who voted against the contract, and then re-negotiated the contract to make it acceptable to the majority. A special election was held, and Keene voters responded by approving the revised contract.
I’m impressed that the MRHS Board has not only moved so quickly, but has followed the direct, simple, and responsible example of its neighbors in Keene. I can only hope that MRHS district voters will respond as positively to the work by its board as Keene voters did to theirs.
Good work, and good luck!