What Do New School Directors Mean for Negotiations?

With four new school directors elected in the 2013 election, change is coming to a West Chester School District that is currently involved in an ongoing contract negotiation situation with the West Chester Area Education Association.

WCAEA president Debbie Fell says that, with the new board members coming in, her organization is hopeful that contract negations can find new ground.

“We have always been ready and willing to get back to the negotiation table,” she said. “It was the school board … that chose to stop the process and not return to the negotiation table.” We are hopeful that when the newly elected board officially takes over in December, we can all come to the negotiation table to work out a fair contract and get back to the business of education.”

Fell called the election “a bonus” and said that there are now “four new board members who care about public education and the future of our great school district.”

“Everyone had a vested interest in this election and all of us were pretty involved throughout the process – which included families, friends and students,” she said. “As a teacher, I couldn’t be happier with the students and their involvement at a grassroots level. It’s a real-life civics lesson for them and it demonstrated the power in their own voices and actions.”