Can anyone please advise me as to where the details of the agreed upon D46 teachers contract is? With the D46 schools heading for a 2.2m deficit next year I'd like to know what our families and children are heading toward? What is the net impact of the contract on D46 and the next projected deficit and exactly how will the board correct any deficits? ?

I'd still like to know how much money we got stuck with paying in additional costs at a time when a new recession is looming, unemployment is 8%+, and taxes are already very high.

I am also distressed by the fact that the terms of the various proposals were all over the news during the "negotiations", but as soon as a tentative agreement is reached, we the taxpayers are locked out in terms of knowing what "our" board has agreed to.

I think the union is doing this in the spirit of transparency. In other words, keep it invisible from the ones who will eventually pay for it.

I don't know why it took the union 9 -10 days to hold a vote and ratify the contract. They were all bringing their pillows and blankets in a big show to "work all night" to the negotiations but sure took enough time to ratify. This could have been over last week if they got their stuff together and had it to the board to vote at last weeks meeting!

I'm guessing it won't even be close to over depending on what the BOE approves or does not approve. A simple life lesson regarding politics, and life in general, when people have something at stake and you make a decision that impacts them, even BOE members resigning may soon learn what all prior BOE members have learned, their decisions, no matter what they decide, or who they agree with, will follow them far into their personal life.

Yes, ecomomies change, children grow up, teachers move on, administrators retire, and my red-cent cheap advice to the board is to remember who they represent and who elected them and then do the best that they can because if they get it wrong their neighbors will be left with the bill & the reprecussions for years and I assure you they don't forget and they will remind you even years later. I know, Keeping D46 running requires some very tough choices and in this incredibly bad economy the reality is that is not easy. Worse yet if you get it wrong it will come back in the next year & even if you leave the BOE, and there is a mess next year, it's not going to be pretty. So good luck to all of you on the board you are exactly between a rock and a hard place and only being a true statesman can help. So plan prepare, think about what you will say, stay calm, and best wishes as you prepare to enter the arena, it's that place where no one can win.

Oh I am sure it was done in the allotted timeframe, there was just a bunch of banter (from the teachers and the union) regarding the board not making the Sun meeting...and then the union turning around and saying they had to sleep after working SO hard at that last meeting. All for show! And 2 years was when their last contract was approved, they have only been out of a contract since June. Which appears by the timelines posted that the board and union have met several times prior to the calling of the strike.

Show me where there wasn't....unless you were actually in the negotiation meeting you would have no idea, now would you? All I was doing was making a comment on all the banter that was going on the Teachers Union facebook page...by the teachers and whatever union member representing them. It is just all comical but I am sure they would continue to slant it in such a way that it is the BOE fault while the rest of us anxiously await to see who and how much will be effected (kids, schools, taxes, etc...)

Terri-thanks for your help in getting the facts stated. But I don't think you should bother on this patch ever again, as there are too many people who honestly don't care what the facts are during this whole ordeal. If these worried parents had divorce, custody or other legal issues, I guess waiting for all the crossing "t's" and dotting the "i's" would be a mute issue. I am wondering if these people would support any strikes that involve unions. What would these worried parents do without fire/police service men and women? Lose everything I guess! Oh wait, I forgot to mention I would definitely think that these worried parents that care so much about them getting back to work instead of their child's edication, would also want a quick end to disagreements so we can again be your glorified babysitters. Thanks again for your support Terri but this patch isn't worth your time and effort and neither are these people!

We need to pay teachers more. AVON school did not meet federal education standards. So now kids are being allowed to switch schools. This is obviously because we need to pay more. How could we do this to our children?

IF you look at the facts they failed. Parents have an option to switch schools because of it. You can spin it however you want. We aren't getting what we paid for I guess.

I was told we pay more here because of extraordinary teachers. I was also told we have to pay more to keep extraordinary teachers. However, the they fail the test scores and that doesn't count to you? How convenient it is to discount factors that aren't convenient to your agenda.

No. It doesn't count to me. Or anyone that has taken the time to study standardized testing and how relatively useless it is when used for accountability. Heck, one only needs to look at ALL the data that is provided in the report cards to see that. Sadly, too many look at the raw AYP and declare failure. NCLB is a miserable disappointment.

I like the idea you have of no accountability.

Oh, there are plenty of good ways to provide authentic assessment for teachers...plenty. Problem is, it means administrators have to actually work and do their jobs. Much easier to just slap an arbitrary snapshot test score on it and call it a day.