Board colleagues and Superintendent,
I have been too preoccupied with the School Board’s quasi-legal investigation of our board colleague Art Johnston to read the teacher’s contract that was recently sent to us after its adoption last May. I did ask past Board member Rich Paulson to read through it for me to get his experienced eyes on the document.
His email to me is as follows:
Hi Guys,
The chair & clerk signed the contract on 4/22/14 but the board ratified on 5/6/14. It seems the contract was a done deal prior to board approval & without any public comments.
Page 51 is a memorandum of understanding-ALC teacher work day/week signed 10/10/13 by Supt. Gronseth & DFT without any negotiations or board approval. These memorandums must all be negotiated because they are part of the contract.
Page 9 sick leave bank b needs to change from 1/2 time to .6 time.
Page 10 jury duty g needs to change from 1/2 time to .6 time.
Page 28 salary schedule & regulations A-3 needs to change from 1/2 time to .6 time & A-4 same change.
I wonder if any impact with change on page 11 earned medical plan changed from Earned Medical Plan to Health Care Savings Plan? Also new language in C about daily rate of pay.
Lastly I wonder how health ins. benefits were handle prior to to ratification 5/6/14 covering term from 7/1/13 relating to 1/2 time vs .6 time?
Here are my observations on this contract which I hope you fellows can talk about at the
mtg 10/20 if you think the public & board should know. Any questions please call me or email me. I find if I speak on any of these items they do not get in paper but board members get printed.
Keep up your good work.
Rich
As I have found it impossible to place items on the agenda that do not accord with the majority’s will and because Mr. Paulson’s analysis arrived too late to do so in any case I plan to raise the issues he asked at the end of the meeting during our time for questions. I did not want to catch our Administration ill prepared to deal with his concerns.
Among the questions Mr. Paulson’s analysis leaves me with are these:
Is it the responsibility of our legal negotiator to review and proofread the contract prior to its consideration by the School Board?
If, as Mr. Paulson says, there are incorrect figures in the document are they made enforceable by the Board’s adoption even if they were mistakes?
Should a Memorandum of Understanding be reviewed and acted upon by the Board or is the Superintendent and/or his subordinate’s extended the authority by the School Board to act on them without Board approval?
I would like some background and guidance from Administration on Mr. Paulson’s question concerning health insurance benefits and the Health Care Savings Plan.
Finally, since our Board Chair and Clerk both signed the contract prior to the Board’s approval of same, I would like to know if that made the Board’s approval unnecessary.
Respectfully,
Harry
