WCASD Board Member Rips Teacher's Union Brass

As the long-protracted teacher's union contract negotiations remains stalled, one member of the school board is going on the attack against a representative of the West Chester Area Education Association and some of its 900 members.

School Board member Heidi Adsett sent a press release to Patch Thursday morning tearing into the teacher's union leadership. 

In December of last year, StopTeacherStrikes.org announced Adsett has been named the vice president of the grassroots organization that aims to make education in the state "strike-free."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 23, 2013
Heidi Adsett West Chester Area School Board Director
Media Contact: hadsett@wcasd.net

Heidi Adsett condemns teacher Union “Work-To-Contract” intentions and seeks legislation to fire Union ringleaders

WEST CHESTER – West Chester Area School Board Director Heidi Adsett issued the following statement today regarding local teacher Union representative Dan Burke’s e-mail of May 16, 2013 (see attached) to East High School teachers:

“I call upon area State Representative Dan Truitt and the Pennsylvania general assembly to enact a law that would eliminate tenure and provide that Union leaders such as Dan Burke be fired for calling for ‘Work-To-Contract’ action against our students.

“My confidential sources inside the Union forwarded Burke’s e-mail and informed me that a number of professional educators want nothing to do with the militancy of Union leadership and many are scared of Union retaliation if they don’t go along with it. ‘Work- To-Contract’ is an unprofessional act of self-serving righteousness designed to punish innocent students in the belief that elected school officials will cave into this form of blackmail by handing over more taxpayer money to fund higher salaries and benefits.

“The response I have received from parents and taxpayers who have seen the Union’s call to action has been overwhelming. Parents and taxpayers want the ringleaders fired. The West Chester Area school board needs legislative assistance from Harrisburg to provide public sector employers with the same authority that most private sector employers have i.e. the right to fire employees such as Dan Burke and Union president Deborah Fell for professional neglect and wanton disregard of students’ educational welfare.

“The fact that Union leadership further called upon teachers to behave in an immature fashion by wearing red shirts and giving applause only to Union leadership at school board meetings, also shows the bizarre sheep-like culture that exists inside the Union.
“It is time for my colleagues on the West Chester Area school board to negotiate out all of the compulsory Unionism components of the teachers’ contract; and to cut off payroll deduction of Union dues to stop taxpayers from being forced to fund this aggressive bullying organization. Our students and taxpayers deserve nothing less.”
Visit www.stopteacherstrikes.org for more information.

The Following E-Mail was Included in Adsett's Press Release.

From: Dan Burke (Email address redacted by Patch)

Date: May 16, 2013, 6:35:21 PM EDT To: [East High School Teachers]

Subject: WCAEA Update

Hello All!
The last Rep Council meeting was this afternoon and I wanted to inform you of some important news:

1. As of July 1st, the association is asking you NOT to do any volunteering for the school. THIS IS NOT WORK TO CONTRACT! We are asking you not to come in over the summer or do anything that you are NOT paid to do. If you are being paid a supplemental or being blue carded, then proceed to do it. We just don't want anyone to volunteer their time and efforts going past July 1st, until we get a
contract. There will be more information regarding what to do and not do, as well as a possible last General Membership meeting to be held in early-June.

2. Sometime after September 3rd, we will probably have a week of "work-to-contract". This means that we ONLY work from our start time to our end time...NO MORE THAN THAT! Same rules apply, as far as if you are getting a paid supplemental, you are expected to fulfill that duty. We are probably going to do one week of "work-to-contract" a month. If you have questions about what this means, feel free to contact me.

3. August 1st is the deadline for fall tuition reimbursement. If you applied for tuition reimbursement for this coming fall prior to May 2nd, you are asked to re-apply, as there is a new online system.

4. If your preparation level has changed, as a result of taking additional classes this year, please make sure you submit that information to HR. Virginia Fredericksen sent out an email regarding this, about a week ago. If you need it again, I can forward it to you. Just email me at work and I will forward you a copy of that email.

5. Tuesday's In-service (May 21st)...please wear your red association t-shirts and remember to VOTE! If you live in the West Chester Area, or know someone that does, make sure they get to the polls!

6. Minority Affairs is asking that we all check our ethnicity on PSEA's website.

7. For our first meeting next school year, with Dr. Scanlon and the board, we are asking that you ONLY applaud for the leadership of the various unions, and NOT for any board members or administrators. We are also asking that you wear your red association t-shirts and wait outside, so we can all walk in together.

I thank you ALL...I know this has been a VERY stressful year, but you've all stepped up and worked well with each other. Please continue to do so, as we are ALL feeling pressured. If there is someone that is irritating you, try NOT to lash out at them. Instead, talk a deep breath and walk away.

Have a great final few weeks...can you see the light at the end of the tunnel? I know I can!

Fraternally yours,

Dan Burke

The Union's website is: http://wcaeateachers.wordpress.com/

Editor's Note: Thursday evening, Heidi Adsett sent this update to news media outlets: "Yesterday’s media release contained a typo. The subject header should have read ‘West Chester Area School “Director” MEDIA RELEASE’ as opposed to School “District” MEDIA RELEASE as the release comes from me individually."