Mendota High School Teachers

“Working to Keep What We Have”

_________________________________________________________

 

 

September 13, 2006

 

Dear Parents:

 

As many of you are probably already aware, the Mendota High School teachers have been engaged in contract negotiations with the Board of Education for over seven months.  In July, a federal mediator was brought in to assist the talks; however, despite several meetings, little progress has been made.  In the interest of providing a quality education, we chose to return to work in August without a contract.  We did this to give the school board time to bargain fairly.  Unfortunately, they have chosen not to do so.

 

The school board has gone to great lengths to misinform the public about the issues.  They have portrayed us as being unreasonable and greedy.  In truth, our negotiating efforts are not focused on “getting more”; we are simply struggling to keep what we currently have.  With few exceptions, the items the school board wants us to agree to involve taking something away from us.  They propose cutting our pay, providing us with less time to work individually with students, reducing our health insurance, and lessening our retirement benefits.  More about specific contract issues can be found on the backside of this letter.

 

At our most recent negotiating meeting held on September 7^th, the school board engaged in regressive bargaining, taking back several items that both sides had agreed upon in previous meetings. Their actions erased all progress that had been made.  In an effort to keep this process moving, we requested several meetings with the school board during the week of September 10th; however, we were informed that their schedules were full and they were unavailable until September 19^th.

 

On Monday, September 11^th we overwhelmingly voted to authorize our negotiating team to set a strike date, if necessary.  Please know that we did not enter into this decision lightly.  We are fellow taxpayers, parents, neighbors, and friends.  Many of us have high school students whose education and extra-curricular activities will be impacted as well.  The fact that we are willing to put our own children’s lives on hold, go without paychecks, and risk losing our jobs should speak volumes as to how unfair and unreasonable the school board’s contract offers have been. 

 

The next mediation session with the Board of Education has been scheduled for Tuesday, September 19^th at 7:00 p.m. at the high school.  As of yet, no strike date has been set.  Please listen to the radio and/or visit our website at www.orgsites.com/il/mendotateachers for the latest information. 

 

If you are concerned about the current state of negotiations, we encourage you to contact our school board members at the phone numbers listed below and urge them to bargain in good faith to reach a fair and timely settlement.

 

     Tom Bauer                        538-4653                        Cathy Burke            539-7357

     Roger Flahive            539-5838                        Ray Jauch            538-2442

     Michael Vercimak            539-5059                        Jim Strouss            539-7184

     Kurt Holdenrid            539-9943

 

We appreciate your willingness to learn more about the situation and hope on September 19^th the school board will create the conditions that will allow us to continue to do what we do best - teach.

 

Sincerely,

 

Mendota High School Teachers

 

 

 

 

This mailing paid for by Mendota High School Teachers.  No taxpayer funds were used.

 

 

TEACHER RETENTION

 

Mendota High School does not have a problem attracting quality teachers – we have a difficult time keeping them.  This year, alone, we lost almost ¼ of our teaching staff.  This “revolving door” prevents continuity in instruction and familiarity in the classroom and is not in the overall best interests of our students. 

 

We urge the school board to recognize that low-paying starting salaries are not the only reason that teachers leave our district. Our non-competitive benefit package, large class sizes, and inadequate classroom budgets also factor heavily into the decision of our teachers to seek employment elsewhere. 

  

SALARY INCREASES

 

The school board wishes to do away with our current salary schedule – one that has been in existence at MHS for over 20 years.  They have proposed a new salary schedule that will result in pay-cuts for experienced teachers.  

 

The offer that we have made is affordable to the school district and does not require a tax increase.  It seeks to help attract new teachers and distribute compensation in a manner that is fair for all teachers.

 

HEALTH INSURANCE

 

The school board has proposed increasing the amount that teachers must pay for family insurance coverage. Our benefit package is already one of the least competitive in the area.  We are confused as to how increasing insurance premiums will achieve their goal of attracting new teachers. 

 

LIQUIDATED DAMAGES

 

The school board and administration are seeking to fine/penalize teachers who resign their positions at the conclusion of a school year – whether it be to stay at home and raise their young children, care for elderly parents, or take advantage of job opportunities elsewhere.   The school board has proposed that teachers who resign during the summer be forced to pay back 5% of their annual salary as a punishment for leaving. 

 

TEACHING CONDITIONS

 

The school board and administration wish to cut in half the amount of time we have to meet individually with students who need extra assistance.  Instead of helping students study for tests or finish homework, they want us to patrol the parking lots, monitor hallways, and check bathrooms – none of which improves student performance or state test scores.

 

FINANCIAL CONDITION OF THE DISTRICT

 

Please consider the following:       

 

·          The school board hired an attorney to assist with negotiations, costing the district over $5,000 thus far. During contract negotiations three years ago, the school board did not employ the services of an attorney and that contract was settled more quickly, without animosity, and at no cost to the taxpayers.

 

·          At its last meeting, the school board voted to purchase 17 acres of land at $15,000 per acre for a total cost of $255,000.

 

·          The school board has used taxpayer money to purchase two expensive, inflammatory, and dishonest ads in the Mendota Reporter.

 

·          At the August school board meeting, the superintendent announced that the school district has over $3 million in reserves.  The fair settlement we are seeking does not put the district at any financial risk.

 

RESPECT

 

In a Mendota Reporter article dated 8-23-06, Mr. Prusator was quoted as thanking the board for their vote of confidence and show of support in extending a new contract to Mrs. Aughenbaugh and himself.  What was not mentioned is that the principal and superintendent’s contracts do not expire until June 2007. The financial details of their new contracts are not being disclosed at this time.

 

As teachers, we are frustrated that the school board would finalize unexpired administrative contracts, while letting teachers begin the school year without a contract.  We are asking that the same vote of confidence and show of support that was extended to our administrators be extended to us in the form of a fair contract offer.