Story posted Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Dist. 71 Teachers Reject Plan For 30 Extra Minutes
By TOM ROBB Journal & Topics Reporter
Niles Elementary School Dist. 71 teacher's union officials rejected a request by district administrators to extend the school workday by 30 minutes for increased teaching time.
A letter from the union was expected to be read at yesterday's (Tuesday's) school board meeting saying the union bargained in good faith, the request does not follow the collective bargaining process and the union was not interested in reopening its contract, according to Supt. Amy Kruppe.
Kruppe said the request does follow the collective bargaining process as either side can ask the other to reopen the contract at any time.
The current four-year contract was agreed to in June 2008 and runs through 2012.
Feedback from parents and the district's strategic plan calls for longer math periods and an advisory period, said Kruppe. The only way to accomplish that would be to extend the school day.
The proposal would have been to change the work day for teachers from a start time of 7:45 and end time of 3 p.m. to a start of 7:30 a.m. and end at 3:10 p.m. The extension of the students' day from 8:25 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. would have been negotiated with teachers.
Kruppe said in previous negotiations, teachers were given a combined base and step pay increase that amounted to 4.25% per year. She said in an economy where many workers are seeing no wage increases at all it would have sent a positive message to the community that teachers and administration officials were working together.
Teacher's union representatives were in class when the Journal attempted to reach them yesterday (Tuesday) and calls were not immediately returned before press time.
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