Brownsville teachers study contract offer”It is the district’s position that information about students, including their address obtained and maintained by the district, is to be used for official school business,” Hoffman said.
Hoffman said the union’s use of those address lists was a breach of federal and state confidentiality requirements. Representatives from the BEA did not return phone calls seeking comment on the issue Wednesday. Last month the union unanimously voted down a contract offer made by the district. At that time, John Ball, BEA’s chief negotiator, said the union also voted on a work stoppage date. The teachers have been working without a contract for more than a year.
Ball said negotiations set for this past Tuesday would determine if a work stoppage actually would occur.
“At the last (union) meeting, when (the union) rejected the district’s proposal, they voted on a strike date. That doesn’t mean it will come about. If we have some forward movements this evening we could postpone a strike. If not, then we will strike,” Ball said before the talks began.
Ball was unavailable Wednesday for comment on the negotiation session.
Solicitor Matt Hoffman said Wednesday the board presented its “final best offer,” which included modifications to the tentative agreement the union previously voted down.
“Now we’re waiting for a response,” Hoffman said.
The teachers’ union meets tonight to vote on the offer.
Grant said the BEA has never communicated any decision to strike and under state law, a teachers’ union is required to provide the school district with formal notice at least 48 hours in advance of a strike.
“We have to take a stance that we did not O.K the distribution of that message. I want to let parents know when we know what’s happening, they will know what’s happening,” Grant said.
The letter mailed by the BEA, said teachers have been “working diligently,” without a contract, to educate children under “extremely difficult conditions,” which were listed as sharing undivided classrooms, teaching multiple classes in the auditorium, using make-shift material to compensate for the lack of labs and equipment, eating teachers’ lunches in converted closets and teaching out of converted teachers’ lounges.
The letter went on to say that teachers have given weekend, evening and morning hours, often trying to “compensate for what the district itself has not provided.”
In an informal poll of teachers, the letter states, the average teacher spends approximately $258.75 per year of his or her own money and donates approximately 209 hours of free time.
Board members, Stella Broadwater, Dr. Melvin Sally and Jim Brown have sat in during previous negotiations with the BEA. But during Tuesday’s meeting, directors, Broadwater, Brown, Roseanne Markovich, Rocky Brashear, Francine Pavone, Ellen Rohrer, Andy Dorsey, board president, attended.