Accusations Flying in SPS/SEA Negotiations - Strike Looks Likely

Latest updates:

- Both sides say their info is accurate and the other side is not telling the truth.

- According to my sources, SPS walked out of the bargaining meeting yesterday. That is DEFINITELY not a good sign. And, no talks were scheduled today.

- The student-written Garfield Messenger newspaper has jumped into the reporting fray. SPS laid out their bargaining proposals late Saturday night:

The district presented its plans in 13 areas, including compensation and special education. They proposed total raises approximately five percentage points less over three years than the union’s proposal. They also claimed their special education solution would improve the staffing ratio for 70% of students with IEPs. In a statement, the union called the district’s solution one that would “hurt kids, damage learning outcomes, and add to the pressure on educators.”

- I would like to ask what might be a naive question.

 If the teachers accepted the district's raise offer would the difference in funds be enough to keep the Special Education aides that SEA says will be lost under the district's plan? Anybody?


SEA President Ibi Idowu makes picket signs at Judkins Park on Aug. 29. (Rafael Brewer/The Garfield Messenger)

As recently as Wednesday, SPS Superintendent Ben Shuldiner said, “I will be here anytime they want in order for us to get a contract.”

- The new group - SPS for Kids - seems to be evolving somewhat. As I previously related, this group had no About section at their website. They added one, saying they were volunteers, parents, and teachers. 

That hasn't changed at the website but elsewhere it is being stated that that it is a parent - Esther Stifano at North Beach Elementary - who put the website together at the request of some teachers. Another parent site says it's a group of parents. Hard to know what to believe but honestly, if you don't know who these people are, I'm not sure their info is necessarily valid. 

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