Newton’s Parent Educator Collaborative has been working over the past three years to bring together NPS educators, parents, community members, and city leaders for authentic and constructive conversations about how to support Newton Public Schools, especially in challenging moments.
The Collaborative’s priority right now is to highlight for the community the Newton Teachers Association’s fruitless efforts to negotiate adequate working conditions within NPS, and efforts to ensure all students are able to succeed. The other goal is to encourage active and ongoing community support for a fair contract.
With the pandemic barely in the rear view, and with a teacher shortage crisis threatening public education all across our country, many are questioning why negotiations have reached a standstill and the NTA has yet to receive an offer of a strong and competitive teacher contract.
We believe transparency and community discussion are overdue, given that negotiations have continued for ten months.
Here are some facts that warrant highlighting:
- According to the negotiation update on the NTA Blog, “COLA” (cost of living adjustment) being offered to Newton educators is in the range of 1.5% -2% annually over 3 years, for a total or 4.5-6%. Neighboring districts of Winchester, Malden and Lynn, offered their educators 4-5+%.
- Belmont, Brookline, Natick, and Dedham (considered peer districts) settled at 2.5-3.75% COLA.
- Aside from COLA, the NTA’s other bargaining priorities focus on prep and planning time, adequate mental health staffing at each school, and proper substitute coverage.
- A new healthcare policy has increased out-of-pocket costs for all employees.
- The School Committee declared on July 20 that negotiations have reached an impasse and that they have filed for mediation by the state, which is unprecedented at this juncture.
- Educators are increasingly likely to start the year without a contract in place.
- Teachers have few tools at their disposal for leverage, and must resort to legal “work-to-rule” measures.
- During these challenging times, teachers are leaving the district. For example, 10 educators left Bigelow Middle School this past year, which is unprecedented.
- There are 117 open NPS positions on the NPS employment page.
Many parents and teachers actively advocated for the operating override. Some taxpayers held the opinion there was adequate cash on hand already. Either way, attentive advocates understand that the steepest price will be paid if the school year is marked by ongoing strife and dysfunction, and if additional educators begin leaving the district with no replacements on deck.
In our opinion, the letter sent by the School Committee on July 20 cast the NTA in a negative light. Teachers have advocated for what’s needed to properly support all students. And offering our teachers 1.5% – 2% COLA would be inadequate by anyone’s standards. We believe it would be a very sad and ominous day that our teachers stop fighting for what’s right, and hope the community will stand behind THEM. We believe the School Committee will find a way to offer a competitive contract if it’s a priority. Even if it’s a stretch.
If any of these points resonate with you, please plan to take action, and encourage others to do so as well. To start, join the Parent Educator Collaborative mailing list: parent.educator.collaborative@gmail.com.
The PEC will be hosting a Community Meeting on this topic: Wednesday, August 9 — 8PM on Zoom.
Alison Lobron, Karen Manning, and Jane Frantz are with the Parent Educator Collaborative.
