Done Deal

By Katie Hiebl & Sarah Ohlde Features Editor & Reporter

The 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 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

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 1 Option 2 Option 3 • Teachers and staff can accept the three year contract proposed by the board. • This contract includes a 1% pay raise in the first year, 1.25% in the second, and 1.5% in the final year of the deal. • This also includes the possibility of lessening teacher workload through the strategic plan. • Teachers and staff can continue to work under the 2018-2019 school year contract. • This option offers no mobility within the pay scale, as teachers will continue to work for the same pay they earned in the school year of 2018-19 • 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.

BEAT EAST A recap of one of the most exciting games of the boys’ basketball season.

Junior Andrew Brewer jumps to gain control of the ball when the game tipped off. South controlled the tip and gained possession of the ball.

Junior and Varsity cocaptain Erik Smith runs through tunnel. Smith was hyped up by his teammates as well as fans and cheerleaders. Sophomore Harrison Hughes battles his opponent’s defense. This is Hughes’s first year on Varsity.

Jumping to shoot the ball, Junior Andrew Brewer is cambatted by two Lancers. Brewer finished the game with eight points.