From Marian Cook It remains unconscionable as to why any higher level management team or board of education would cause such dissension against their employees. The frustration surrounding the issues, laced with its accompanying fears, anxiety, anguish, and anger just didn’t happen overnight. I stood before this board 7 ½ months ago and called your attention to the staggering bureaucratic bloat at Lincoln Center. Since 2011, 19 administrators have been added at a cost of over $2,000,000. I also highlighted the atrocious turnover rate amongst your teaching staff; which no other highly successful school district would ever permit. What has changed over these past 7 months? The disparities have not been rectified. No wonder 95% of your workforce called for a strike vote! If you all were teachers, you would be placed on remediation for failing to address these issues. A report card for this dereliction of duty would be as follows: Caring—“F,” Sharing—“F,” Cooperation—“F,” Fiscal Responsibility—“F,” and an “A+” in Bullying Tactics. The teachers have been working tirelessly and faithfully with no contract being settled. Basic cost of living raises/health benefits have been a huge factor in this tension, which hearkens to the tremendous double standard existing between all levels of administration, versus what has been doled out to the teachers. In Everything I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, the author reminds the reader to ‘play fair,’ and to ‘share.’ If administrative negotiators had followed these precepts, this strike wouldn’t have happened. There isn’t an administrator in Dis. #60 who would willingly exchange their salary, their incremental raises, or their benefit packages with members of the teaching force. These members of the aristocracy in our district aren’t concerned about money because they possess it. Our teachers are simply asking for their fair share of the surplus money that already exists in these accounts. While top heavy administrative salaries and central office figure heads reach well into the six figure range, it remains a slap in the face to the teachers to continue to receive their insulting paychecks. It is misleading and inappropriate to accuse the teachers of being greedy; while the worst acts of greed are occurring amongst the personnel who have no student contact. Such egregious discrepancies remain patently unfair, while the combination of school board ignorance and administrative arrogance have brought us to this juncture. The damage done has been catastrophic. Any reasonable person would have to agree that in this milieu, the teachers have been made to feel misunderstood, under-appreciated, devalued, and disrespected. Teachers just want to teach. The dedication and efforts of this tremendous group of people should be valued, edified and rewarded on all levels. When this strike ends, we must see to it that this never happens again. The embarrassment, the shame, and the disgrace of it against an entire community should be enough for one lifetime.
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 00:17:17 +0000
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