Schools

Stoughton Teachers Continue to Voice Concerns over Contract Negotiations

The Stoughton Teachers Association made a presentation to the School Committee at their Tuesday meeting, as contract negotiations continue without a resolution.

As contract negotiations between the Stoughton Public Schools administration and the Stoughton Teachers Association (STA) continue without a resolution, STA members have become increasingly vocal about their “right to a fair and equitable contact.”

STA representatives have read five petitions signed by various teachers across the district at School Committee meetings over the last few months. On , about 130 Stoughton Public School teachers came to to rally for a “fair contract” and to support the STA bargaining team as they made their way into the building for a bargaining session with school officials.

At the most recent School Committee meeting Tuesday night, 12 teachers and two nurses spoke about their concerns about the negotiations, which have spanned 26 bargaining sessions. The current contract expired in August 2010.

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Teachers ranging in age, experience and tenure in the Stoughton schools, shared their concerns and personal struggles as these negotiations continue, while praising the dedication of their teaching peers.

The crowd of teachers was so large to support the 14 speakers that the meeting had to be moved from the SHS television studio to the auditorium.

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“Late last night I had a dream; victory for our bargaining team,” Ken Kalen, a fourth grade teacher at the Gibbons School chanted into a megaphone at the May 3 rally, with those teachers in attendance repeating. Kalen expanded upon his chant Tuesday at the School Committee meeting.

“Victory for the bargaining team is victory for everyone,” Kalen said. He said “to the victor goes the spoils,” which in this case would be a “highly qualified staff” for the schools; “a high quality education” for the students; and a “fair contract” for the teachers.

Many of the teachers who spoke expressed a “breach in trust,” as STA president Sue Cogliano put it, between the STA and the administration.

Stoughton teachers received their paychecks Thursday, May 5, and much to their surprise, the step increases promised to be included in these paychecks were not, Cogliano said.

Step increases are “the salary increments teachers receive in their early years as they gain experience and become professionals” and were something already included in the school department’s budget, according to Cogliano. The teachers have not received these “step” payments this year.

John Gunning, a 7th grade teacher at the O’Donnell Middle School said withholding these step increases “shook the confidence [the teachers] had in you, the administration of the Stoughton Public Schools.”

School Committee chairman Tom Colburn said “we agreed steps would be released” and the School Committee has directed the administration to release these payments. He said it was his understanding that these step payments would start being issued “the very next paycheck.”

Colburn said it was a “huge priority” for the School Committee” to settle the negotiations.

Felicia Rosen, an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher at the West School, started the near-hour long presentation from the STA by speaking about the quality of the staff in the Stoughton Public Schools and their dedication to the students.

Rosen said her daughter Rachel was the valedictorian of the class of 2010 and she felt her academic success was due to her “dedicated teachers.” She said teachers arrive early and stay sometimes until 4 or 5 p.m., or beyond, well after the end of the school day.

Other teachers spoke about the wear and tear these negotiations were having on the teaching community.

“The Stoughton School community is dysfunctional,” Linda Rondeau, an 8th grade teacher said. “[We are] tired, worn-out, disillusioned because of the negotiations.”

She said teachers are “disheartened to feel we are not valued for our contributions.”

Marilyn Berman, a social studies teacher at SHS, said she felt “insulted.”

“Each time we settled for less, [there was an] empty promise for more,” she said. “We have nothing we can afford to give since we have never had such a generous contract…How will you retain these marvelous young teachers?”

Sue Rockwood, an English teacher at SHS, echoed Berman and said she didn’t want to see young teachers leave and go to better paying school districts.

Many teachers spoke about their financial hardships that are a result of not settling a new contract and not receiving the step payments, issues like having difficulty paying for daycare for their young children or even difficulty making ends meet to pay bills.

“I hope the School Committee recognizes that you get what you pay for, and we’re worth paying for,” Melanie Ingrao, a social studies teacher at SHS and a member of the STA bargaining team, said.

“Please move this along so this is a done deal by the time next school year starts, better yet, by the end of this school year,” Bill Limbey, the director of the English department at SHS said.

Thursday, May 12 is the next bargaining session. Colburn and Joyce Husseini are the School Committee representatives on the bargaining team, but Colburn said for this meeting, in the hopes of accelerating the process, Deb Sovinee and George Dolinsky will be included in the bargaining session as well.

Allan Mills cannot participate because his wife teaches at the South School.

After Cogliano spoke to conclude the STA presentation, Colburn told those teachers present: “We agree this has gone on too long.” He said negotiations started in February 2010 and that he knows “we’re past the 11th hour.” He said the School Committee has been “bargaining in good faith” and wants to “see this resolved.”


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