Goodrich- The Michigan Education Association has placed district teachers on the critical list as a result of the school board imposing a 14-day cut to the school calendar in September.
The cut represents a significant loss of student time on task, and results in a 7-percent pay cut for teachers, according to Michigan Education Association officials.
Unfair labor practice charges have been filed on behalf of the 102 members in the local. A Nov. 2 meeting to discuss the grievances is set between the school union and a committee of the school board. Michael Tripp, Michael Thorp and James Bertrand will represent the school.
‘What the critical list does for us is to provide access to more assistance from the MEA,? said Dianne Bregenzer, from the Michigan Education Association.
‘We’re having problems in Goodrich–it’s one of the only times we’ve put a district on the critical list that still has a contract.?
According to the MEA, units are put on critical list when efforts to reach a contract stall or when bargaining has been protracted and unproductive. The school district employees feel they need assistance from the community and MEA to reach a fair and equitable contract settlement. In addition to developing appropriate crisis action plans in preparation for a possible job action, members in critical units will step up efforts to inform the community about negotiations with appropriate activities necessary to achieve a contract.
The calendar issue stems from a six-to-one vote in August when the school board Ok’d a 184-day calendar year proposed earlier this year. Students now attend school 181 days less five professional days required for teachers by law say school officials.
Board trustee Tim Zirnhelt voted no.
The change from the previous198-day calendar which sparked the ire of teachers and some parents over the past months is necessary says Goodrich Superintendent Kim Hart in an interview last September, to balance a rather hefty $991,655 budget shortfall reported earlier this year.
On April 13, to rectify the shortfall, the board of education presented a proposal to the Goodrich Education Association, promising no layoffs of certified teachers if teachers agree to work 14 fewer days the next year. The news followed the April 7 meeting between school administrators and teachers, in which about 40 teachers received pink slips. On April 24 the board voted six to one to finalize the layoffs.
Since then teachers were called back and union and school bargaining representatives met with a mediator in July regarding the disputed length of the 2005-06 calendar year.
Following the board decision regarding the calendar, Hart says teachers will lose an average of 1.7 percent of their pay, with 73 of approximately 105 teachers losing 2.12 percent. Teachers with more than 10 years will lose about 6 percent due to the change, says Hart.
Bregenzer, says the reduction in pay is much greater.
‘They are asking the teachers to pay for the financial problems of the district. The pay cuts are greater than what the board says. The teachers will lose 7 percent from what we’re expected to be paid next year. The board’s numbers are skewed. Most of the teachers won’t see a loss in pay because of the 5 percent step up in pay negotiated in the contract will cover the cuts.?
Even with the cut in school days the district is still short $420,260, says Hart which must come out of the fund equity account, money set aside for a rainy day by the district. At the end of the 2005-06 school year the fund will be reduced to only 8 percent of the total budget about half of the 12 to 15 percent recommended set aside by the state, says Hart.
The severity of the shortfall will hinge in part on lawmakers? promise to school districts of a $175 per student funding increase Ok’d in September. Hart says the district is still expecting only a $125 per student funding.
Kim Hart could not be reached by press time to respond to the announcement.