Spring Cove teachers contract settlement fails

ROARING SPRING - A proposal to settle the long-disputed teachers contract in the Spring Cove School District failed by the smallest of margins at a special board meeting Thursday evening.

''We're going back to the classroom without a contract,'' Spring Cove Education Association President John Fitzpatrick said.

By a vote of 5 to 4, the school board refused the report offered to them by a state-appointed fact-finder and approved by the SCEA Tuesday. The SCEA represents the district's 133 teachers, who have been working under an expired contract since July, the first time in two decades that teachers in this Cove community have worked without current terms.

Because the proposal still is up for discussion, details of the settlement could not be discussed Thursday.

The 7 p.m. meeting got off to a late start as board members entered the room and announced they needed more time for executive session to discuss the matter. When they returned more than 30 minutes later, one board member began discussion on the proposal with a lengthy letter about her experience with the negotiation process.

With a shaking voice, Charlene Dodson read her statement aloud.

''My intent in the negotiations process was to have an agreement that focused on what was best for the various stakeholders in the Spring Cove School District,'' she said. ''I have to admit, it is not always easy to keep focused because the process is sometimes both mentally and emotionally draining. I, however, intend to stay true to my commitment to look at what I believe to be best long term.''

Dodson also said while both sides acted professionally and amicably, the process itself was ''asinine and archaic.''

''It is sterile and only offers a one-dimensional perspective on a subject that is very complex and multi-faceted.''

Dodson said the idea of returning to business as usual would only breed complacency, which is unacceptable in public education and a reason for her to vote no.

''I did not join the board to perpetuate the status quo, and that's what this report represents,'' she said.

Board member William Replogle also voted no, based on current economic times that he said were not taken into consideration by the fact finder.

''I think that asking our taxpayers to give quite a bit more money when they're losing money, I don't think is fair,'' he said.

Fitzpatrick said that the community has escaped a lot of the financial woes going on nationwide.

''A lot of the things that are happening are not affecting this area as bad as others,'' he said.

In addition to Dodson and Replogle, dissenting votes were cast by Gretchen Metzler, Jennifer Murnyack-Garner and John Biddle, who hesitated before casting his vote in the roll call.

Julie Mills, Amy Acker-Knisely, Harold Lloy Blattenberger and James Butler voted in favor of the proposal.

After the votes were cast, the dozen or so faculty members in attendance were taken back, holding their hands to their faces or shaking their heads.

''We're definitely disappointed,'' Fitzpatrick said. ''We had hoped the board would see it as a compromise. We felt it gave the board some things they wanted.''

The board now has a five-day consideration period. A second vote will take place in 6 to 10 days.

''One person could change their vote and it could be our contract,'' Fitzpatrick said.

If the proposal does not pass a second time, the two sides are back to square one, a place that could mean a possible strike.

Mirror Staff Writer Wendy McCardle is at 946-7520.

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Concernedcit
12-14-08 2:08 AM »Report Abuse	involved with the law. That is why going to school is one of the required duties of a U.S. citizen. That is why schooling is provided in our prisons (so they have more opportunities). That is why the government makes it possible for people who don't have money to go to college for little money or even for free. The most powerful contries in the world have a large number of educated people. The people in third world contries are not educated enough to create their own opportunities. I guess this is a chicken or the eggs type of question.
Concernedcit
12-14-08 1:52 AM »Report Abuse	I also agree that it has to do with the number of jobs, but the opportunities to get a job for an educated person are greater. When people are out of opportunities it will often lead to crime. An uneducated person runs out of opportunities faster than an educated person. Times have also changed, an educated person many years ago was someone that could read and write. Then a high school education was needed. In the year 2010 the majority of jobs created will need some form of education beyond high school. The deadbeat comment was directed to those who could get a job and for some reason choose not to. The people who take advantage of and bleed the system. A system that was put in place to help people get back on their feet often supports generations of individual families. In schools I am willing ot bet that over 90% of the behavior problems are caused by students who could care less about an education. I am also willing to bet that the majority of those students will be
Suitor
12-14-08 12:10 AM »Report Abuse	CONTINUED: ...are going to get much, much worse. The progression of poverty, has been obvious for some 20 years. The lack of decent paying jobs has been progressing for 20 years. And the progression of crime has been obvious for 20 years. So, do the math.
Suitor
12-14-08 12:06 AM »Report Abuse	Concernedcit, Obviously your focused with "educated" people. You attribute education to society's Ill's. So, what level of education, or lack of, is deemed necessary to be classified as "deadbeat". Ones education has nothing to do with crime. it's the lack of jobs. As I don't know your answer yet, Let's use a high school education as an example. Most people up until 1980, graduated high school and went to work. Jobs that paid enough to comfortably live on. Those jobs are gone. Now the majority of jobs pay minimum wage. Forcing people to either borrow to get buy, or work 2 jobs. Many do both. 3RD world nations are also lacking jobs. The minimum wage job is now hard to come by. And were so without a recession. Thus, education is not society's Ill's, causing "dead beats" to flourish in greater numbers. It's lack of jobs to pay the bills. America is obviously headed toward a third world existence. Things are bad now. And have been. But I assure you. Things
Concernedcit
12-12-08 11:24 PM »Report Abuse	Gee and where are police needed the most? In areas that have a large number of uneducated people. As the number of uneducated people increases in our area so does our crime rate. Why is that number so high in our area? Because people don't care about education. Look at uneducated 3rd world countries and how high the crime rate is. I was also wondering why the mentioned school district's administrators are at the top of the state's pay scale and the teachers are in the lower half? Give the teachers thier small cost of living increase and deal with it. Pay the police more as well because they are highly underpaid as well. Maybe if we didn't have thousands of dead beats in our area who could work and choose not to we would have the tax dollars to pay them what they deserve.
OooohNoooo
12-12-08 3:40 PM »Report Abuse	Bedrock... You act like we can control these guys... Sure... we elect them, but they do whatever they want anyway... Thats part of the deal... They lie their backsides off to get in there, and then...POOF!... We disappear!(SEE JOHN MURTHA FOR THE LAST UMPTEEN YEARS!)Not worth wasting time over, I think! The best you can hope for is an apology!
bigdogmom
12-12-08 2:34 PM »Report Abuse	Two of the dissenting votes are from former teachers. It would be interesting to see what exactly is in the contract for 2 former teachers to vote no.
dumbtoona
12-12-08 2:15 PM »Report Abuse	guttertroll why should people who worked hard, valued their education, and made good decisions take less then they deserve because others chose not to? A teacher is one of the most important if not the most important profession in the world. Without teachers we don't have doctors, engineers, etc..... Sam410 is 100% correct when they say we need to pay teachers wages that will attract the greatest minds. With what teachers put up with today they deserve to be paid more. We should be thankful they do what they do for the money they get.
livinginBEDROCK
12-12-08 1:18 PM »Report Abuse	RU kidding you are missing the point. The school board voted on a contract. They are VIOLATING THE LAW by not releasing it. If you don't want to know what your elected officials are up to thats your choice. I think more openess and public involvement is the answer,not less.
Sam410
12-12-08 11:28 AM »Report Abuse	In the current economic times unions need to be making massive concessions, or risk losing thousands of jobs for their constituents (see auto industry bailout). Things are a little different in the world of teachers, but we do need to look at the state laws regarding strikes by teachers. Most states have a limit or abolish it completely because of its harmful effects on children. Don't get me wrong, I don't think teachers are overpaid. As a society we should value our education and pay teachers a very high share so that we lure some of the countries greatest minds into teaching our future.
RUKidding
12-12-08 11:08 AM »Report Abuse	Call them on it? Where is that going to take it... More wasted time and money... More frustration... More arguing...
livinginBEDROCK
12-12-08 1:09 AM »Report Abuse	If the school board took a vote, how can the contract be kept from the public? The public has a legal right to comment on any item that requires "official action". A vote is official action. The contract is now a public document and should be released. The school board has already violated the open meetings (sunshine) law by their action of voting without the ability of the public to comment? Will any citizens call them on it?

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