September 05, 2008
Elusive Fort Edward teacher contracts
Although the Fort Edward school board approved a new labor agreement with its teachers union on June 24, the public has yet to see a copy of the contract.
That's despite the efforts of the Glens Falls Post-Star. Education reporter Omar Aquije filed a Freedom of Information Law request July 7. Editor Mark Mahoney provides critical updates of the school district board in his blog, Your Right to Know. (here).
In his blog, Mahoney writes that Aquije received an email from the district July 17. acknowledging his request and telling him "We have not received the typed copy of the Teachers contract from the Teachers Association President, Paul Smith, yet. As soon as we do, I will forward a copy to you."
As of September 4, the Post-Star still does not have a copy of the Fort Edward contract--although a memorandum of agreement was ratified by the school board and teachers union 10 weeks ago.
Mahoney's Your Right to Know blog has stirred up angry citizens who've contacted the school district seeking the contract. Yesterday the new superintendent called Mahoney to say he hoped to release the contract soon.
"They say they're 'typing' it," Mahoney told me. "I told the superintendent that I type fast; they can send it to me and I'll type it up in less than three months."
In June, Mahoney wrote an editorial in the Post-Star arguing that collective bargaining agreements should be made public before a school board or other government entity ratifies them.
Salaries and benefits make up 70 to 80 percent of each school budget, and school taxes make up about 65 percent of local residents' total property tax bills. Statewide over the last five years, school taxes have risen an average of 7 percent a year. So the impact of contracts on what citizens pay in taxes is significant.
What sticks in the public's craw time and time again is that despite the financial impact of these contracts, neither side involved in talks will release details of a deal until it's signed. That means the citizens get no say in the terms negotiated, and that the board and the teachers have signed a contract without knowing if those terms were acceptable to the people they serve.
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