Scranton teachers to school board: time to walk the walk!
On Tuesday, I joined hundreds of educators who streamed into a board meeting in Scranton, Pa., to show their determination to fight for smaller class sizes, school nurses, strong professional development and teacher voice — just some of the school essentials that are threatened by the district’s failure to reach a contract with educators.
Their collective bargaining agreement expired Aug. 31, and if a new one is not reached, they may be forced to strike. A strike is always a last resort, but to date, no substantial progress has been made during negotiations. The district’s proposals have been scant, rarely in written form, and are regressive and burdensome, affecting not only our members but also their students and the entire Scranton community. Contract provisions that have served the district well for decades are being attacked and gutted, and there is a lack of concern for the safety and well-being of students.
Tuesday’s event and our petition, which has garnered more than 10,000 signatures, delivered a message from teachers and the community alike: Scranton teachers need and deserve a contract now, and that requires school administrators to do more than pay lip service to collaboration with the union.
My students at Clara Barton High School in New York used to tell me to “walk the walk.” And that is the message hundreds of teachers chanted as school directors arrived for their board meeting.
Scranton Federation of Teachers President Rosemary Boland has said over and over that this contract fight is about more than wages and salary. It is about preventing the district from eroding bargaining rights for teachers and preserving critical supports in schools.
Our Scranton educators and our local know how to find common ground, so I call on the board of education to find common ground with them. We have fought the good fight in Pennsylvania, and we’re not stopping until every child in every city can get a high-quality public education. Our kids deserve it.
Watch the video from Tuesday’s event here:
And be sure to sign our petition to the school board here:
