4 | NEWS
By Katie Hiebl & Sarah Ohlde Features Editor & Reporter
T
he National Education AssociationShawnee Mission and SMSD negotiation teams have been in contract negotiations for almost eight months. Since an agreement could not be reached initially, a fact finder from the state, Henry Cox, was brought in as the next step. After listening to arguments from both negotiation teams, the fact finder presented his findings. On January 28, SMSD administration and the SMNEA met to negotiate a final time. Tuesday’s negotiation was the final step in the state-mandated process. The meeting ended with no agreement
Option 1
between the two parties. With no agreement between SMNEA and SMSD the contract issue falls to the board of education to decide. On January 30th The Board of Education unilaterally accepted the three-year contract. Teachers now have the choice of accepting the terms of the contract, continuing to work under last year’s contract or stepping down from their positions without penalty. The new contract is negotiated for this year, 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years. The contract guarantees a raise of 1% for the first year, 1.25% for the second year and 1.5% for the third. The details above that were agreed upon were unchanged from the proposal the district offered at Tuesday’s meeting. The board discussed gradually introducing
Option 2
• Teachers and staff can accept the • Teachers and staff can continue three year contract proposed by the to work under the 2018-2019 board. school year contract. • This contract includes a 1% pay raise • This option offers no mobility in the first year, 1.25% in the second, within the pay scale, as and 1.5% in the final year of the deal. teachers will continue to work • This also includes the possibility of for the same pay they earned in lessening teacher workload through the school year of 2018-19 the strategic plan.
At the Han. 13 SMSD Board meeting, Spanish teacher Leigh Rysko speaks out about the heavy workload teachers face across the district. “I beg you to come and truly engage with what is happening in our building and I beg you to use the extra money to reduce workload and class sizes and pay the frontline that has been taking one for the team,” Rysko said. Photo by Landrea Van Mol
changes to secondary staff teaching and workload starting in the 2021-2022 school year but said it won’t “risk the district’s long-term financial stability.” According to SMNEA President, Linda Sieck, a multi-unilateral contract “will destroy the relationship with teachers in this district.”
Option 3 • The final option is that teachers and staff can choose to resign. • They must do this within fifteen days of when the contract was presented (by February 14th). • This will result in no penalty to the teachers/staff.
