I wasnt there in the room with the board members when they voted on the contract, but in researching this entire issue I am making an informed guess that the rest of the board (non-negotiating members) were presented the contract as a package deal the way the teachers were. So a board member who might not have been involved in negotiations was forced to decide, is this the best contract we have so far and can I live with the return to work package tied to this contract in order to get kids back in school? Even though the decision was unanimous, and yes even though a reasonable person would say reducing the calendar was not the right decision, I dont believe every board member was happy with the choice to reduce the calendar. Im not saying the decision the board made was the correct one, Im just saying I believe there are potentially members of the board who are and continue to remain, between a rock and a hard place with the board members involved in negotiating this contract and they do wish to restore 174 days. As some of my initial anger and frustration at reading the Register Mail article with the statements about the wash and not rewarding the teachers gives way to calm determination to restore the calendar to 174, I think it we need to appeal to the board with calm, non-confrontational, rational facts as to why we need 174 student attendance days. I will be the first to admit I am a frustrated parent over this calendar. A mama tiger who feels she needs to protect her young. I will also admit, after careful thought, I dont think anger and frustration is the approach that will get this reversed. I think that attitude will cause the remaining members to dig in their heels and reaffirm their original decision to reduce the calendar in an effort to not reward the teachers. Lastly, and I am sticking my neck out here so dont bite the messenger, to the parents and community members, I really think the arguments we make about restoring the calendar should have NO MENTION of the teachers and impact of the dock days to them specifically. Except perhaps as an illustration to the collateral damage that reduction in income produces in our community. Obviously I support our teachers, obviously I recognize the impact of this to them, but I also really believe the remaining board members who we need to sway to our side still harbor anger and resentment from the public flogging they perceived via social media during the negotiations. Whether you as the parents, community, friends and family of the teachers believe that flogging was justified or not has to take a back seat in the presentation of the rationale for restoring 174 days. I think if we the parents and community show up in blue and list reasons the teachers were wronged, it will do more harm than good. Our points detailing the ways the students and community are being hurt as collateral damage in a strike will be heard as, blah blah blah reward the teachers blah blah blah. Im not sure our message will get through to the point of change that way. We are under a time constraint in trying to get this calendar restored swiftly to ensure the AP students, Drivers Ed students, Vocational Students, mid-term graduating seniors can benefit from this, If it takes us months to sway them to modifying the calendar, the end result will just be the days tacked on at the end of the year. This is better than nothing as it will help some of our concerns, but this really isnt the optimum solution. So, even though it goes against my grain, and even though those who know me might be surprised to hear me say this, I think we need to be smart, be calm, and refrain from ripping the board a new one over a clearly terrible decision. We need to let butter melt in our mouths while we calmly list in great detail all the ways this decision hurts our children and our community, then politely ask them to restore 174 for the students and our community. I think its better to have the board restore the calendar and have the teachers quietly receive collateral benefit from that reversal, than us asking for them to do something connected to the teachers and everyone potentially loses in an attempt to not reward the teachers. These are just my thoughts. Sit and ponder on them. I am unable to attend any planning meetings tonight. I hope you consider my approach as you formulate your plan of attack.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 20:33:49 +0000
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