Walt Studinger, president of the Oxford Educators Association (OEA), the union organized to represent the teachers of Oxford Schools, presented a formal letter to the Oxford Schools Board of Education during the Jan. 27 meeting.
Studinger said his written comments are in response to a “Letter to the Editor” published in the Jan. 21 edition of The Oxford Leader. The letter to the editor discussed a group of teachers’ displeasure with the recently approved central office administration contracts. The group of teachers who submitted the letter to the editor wished to remain anonymous.
The following is the letter read by Studinger to members of the school board during the Jan. 27 regular meeting:

To the Members of the Oxford Board of Education:
Now that all the contractual discussions for the district have been completed, I wanted to take a moment to thank the members of the board of education. In the spring of 2003, there was a sense that, if we chose to do nothing, the OEA could expect zero percent increase and probably layoffs and cuts in programs for kids. We decided to do something; we tried to be creative; we were willing to be bold. Our contractual discussions with the administrative team were spirited and focused and collaborative. We considered common sense sacrifices and the welfare of our kids and our community. Both the tone and tenor of those discussions should provide the association and the community with a sense of pride. We produced a contract which is fiscally responsible and educationally sound. Our contract also proved to be a model for subsequent discussions on behalf of the administration and AFSCME and central office employees.
Recently, I was asked to read a (letter) in The Oxford Leader. While I certainly empathize with any custodial or paraprofessional staff that has been laid off, I know that the unnamed authors’ frustration and finger-pointing was misplaced and inaccurate. While it is correct that tuition reimbursement has been suspended for the next three years, that concession should be judged in its significance to the overall settlement. First, the tuition reimbursement was something our team was especially proud of: it was substantial and may have been the most progressive in the county and that state. It was a wonderful incentive for new hires as we were at the salary base of the twenty-eight districts in Oakland County. As our salaries have improved and as the economy struggles, we were only one of less than 25 percent of districts which offered any kind of reimbursement. Veteran staff also made sacrifices in our severance package. These structural changes contributed to our three year settlement which secured other and more universally important benefits.
In a similar manner, the central office contract also reflects sacrifices and structural changes to a package of salary and benefits which they inherited. The people who were leaders in these discussions, Virignia Brennan-Kyro and her central office staff, should be thanked by the Oxford community. Thanks are also due to the Oxford Board of Education for providing the atmosphere and trust necessary to create a win/win for both the community and our associations. While there will always be some frustrations, these contracts and your trust and our thanks are well deserved.
Sincerely,
Walter Studenger,
President OEA