Schools

WCASD Teacher Contract Talks Scheduled Monday

West Chester Area School District Teachers and the District are scheduled for a new round of talks Monday against an angst-filled backdrop.

 

The West Chester Area School District and the union representing some 900 teachers are scheduled to sit down for a new round of contract talks Monday.

The old contract expried on June 30, 2012. Teachers have been working under the provisions of the expired contract since.

Find out what's happening in West Chesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The pre-talks rhetoric each side has posted on their respective websites and statements issued by both sides might sound more like the lead-up to a WWE wrestling match than a contract with the people who teach thousands of West Chester students.

'Let's Get Ready to Ruuuuuuuuuummmmble!'

  • In this corner: The West Chester Area School District Board of Directors.

There's been some in-fighting that's spilled out into the media over the past week and a half.

Find out what's happening in West Chesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

School Board member Heidi Adsett threw the first in the latest round of verbal jabs when she issued a press release attacking union leadershihp over a leaked email in which the West Chester Area School District Education Association told members to "work to contract" if there is no deal reached after the end of the current school year.

Adsett first issued her oress release under a letterhead indicating she spoke for the entire School Board. A few hours later Adsett issued a revision indicating that she spoke only for herself.

That was followed by a statement posted on the official WCASD website by the President of the Board. In that statement Vince Murphy first made it clear that Adsett was speaking only for herself. Murphy then went on to take on the Union leaders in his own statement saying:

We are mystified why Association leadership would chose to stop writing letters of recommendation for our students, or why they would stop helping our students before or after school. We believe that the vast majority of teachers are dedicated and professional, and choose their profession because they want to help each and every child in our District. The Association’s request sends the opposite message.

  • And in this corner: The WCASD Education Association

The West Chester Area School District Education Association isn't exactly taking the board members' statement lying down. This response is posted on the Union's negotiations website:

The teachers are dismayed by the actions of some of the West Chester Area School District Board Directors, specifically those of Mrs. Adsett and Mr. Murphy.  Mr. Murphy intimates, in a statement on the district website, that the teachers have not been serious in the negotiation process, and that teachers are using the children as pawns.

The statement goes on to list four reasons why the union is insulted by the statements of the school board members:

1. It is the Board that has not attended any of negotiations session (after they said they were experienced negotiators when they were running for school board).

2. The Board has not moved from their initial proposal given back in February of 2012 (with the exception of extremely small salary increase to salary bonuses)

3. The WCAEA has offered many proposals which have been rejected each time.

4. The teachers of the WCAEA have not done one thing different in regard to their jobs for the past three years.  A time in which they have not received one penny more.  Mean while, the school board takes credit for all the district has done, when it has been the teachers (as well as support staff) that have kept the district going.

And now the teachers are being insulted publicly by the actions of the Board.

The members of the West Chester Area Education Association are intelligent, caring professionals who always have and certainly will continue to fulfill their contractual responsibilities.

  • And in the center of the ring: The students/parents/taxpayers

The war of words has spilled over into the public and can be seen right here on West Chester Patch where passion commenters on both sides, and even some parents and teachers who feel stuck in the middle are weighing in.

Tell us what you think as the two sides go back to the bargaining table. Join the conversation in the comments section at the bottom of this article.


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