Published: October 08, 2008 12:17 pm            

NA-FC teachers vote to ratify contract Wednesday, still needs board approval to be finalized

After more than nine months without a contact, New Albany-Floyd County Consolidated School Corp. teachers are finally voting today to ratify a contract for last year, this year as well as next, all of which include a 2.5 percent raise, paid retroactively for the time that has already passed.

But will the cost add up to $1.2 million in cuts?

Mark Kessans, president of the New Albany-Floyd County Education Association, which represents about 700 teachers, said the school corporation made the contract offer last week, but said if the association takes it, it could mean $1.2 million in expenditure reductions.

Bill Briscoe, assistant to the superintendent for administration and operations, did not verify nor deny the accusation.

“We feel it would be inappropriate to comment at this time because the Board of School Trustees has not yet voted to ratify the contract,” he said via e-mail.

Doug Taylor, former president and current bargaining member on the association’s team, said this is nothing new.

“We have heard expenditure reductions every year, so it’s no surprise that we’re hearing it,” he said.

Tuesday night, Kessans held a meeting for teachers to hear more about the details within the contact. He told the group about the comment on expenditure reductions, saying he feels it’s an “idle threat.”

“If it happens, it will be something we will handle at that time,” Kessans told the group of about 50 teachers. “We are already doing research on where cuts can be made without letting go of teachers.”

Kessans urged the group to support the contract, calling it “fair” but nothing “to go hooting and hollering about.”

Taylor agreed.

“It’s a fair settlement for where we are at this time,” he said.

Bargaining team member and elementary teacher Michele Adams fought for additional planning time for her fellow elementary teachers. That was added to the contract. By January 2010, elementary teachers will have 4.5 planning periods compared to the three they have now. However, the goal was five.

“I’m pleased,” Adams said. “We didn’t get all the time we were hoping for, but this is a major victory for elementary teachers.”

She added that she’s happy a fair contract was reached, but said she’s disappointed with the measures needed to get to this point, such as stopping voluntary duties, rallying and more.

If today’s vote to ratify the contract passes, the contract will go on to the school board for approval. The board would also have the power to deny it.

Kessans told the group of teachers that he has been told that a “significant number” of board members are “not comfortable” with the contract. He warned teachers to not get too excited yet that this is over.

With the potential end in sight, Taylor told those in attendance to “save the orange shirts,” referring to the shirts worn during this negotiation time that call for a fair contract.

“I’m really thankful for the settlement, but it was a very, very long journey,” he said. “But to think we won’t have to do this again, I think, is too optimistic.”

The board is slated to vote on the contract Oct. 13.

        

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