RC teachers plead for settlement of contract

The Rogers City Area Schools Board of Education adjourned to closed session Monday night to meet with George Johnson, the bargainer/attorney hired by the board to conduct the negotiations with the teachers’ union. Paula Pietsch, a fifth grade teacher, was the first of three teachers from the large contingent in attendance to address the meeting. “As you can see, we are here as a teachers unit to let the school board know that we are in good faith meeting the needs of our students and helping to get the school year off to a productive, successful note. “We ask that you please not take advantage of our genuine concern for our students and love for our profession. “We are now over 12 months working without a contract. Please help in expediting an amicable settlement,” she said.

HOLLY WIRGAU, a junior high teacher, was the next person to address the meeting. “We want to let the school board know that we have been extremely patient but we are becoming concerned about not having a contract. “Right now the atmosphere in the school building is not instrumental in providing a healthy working environment.

“In particular, the junior high school students are not being monitored as they should be before the eight o’clock bell which is the starting time for both students and staff. “Finally, as the tensions are rising, we urge you to help finalize this process and move toward a contract settlement,” she said. Kathleen Dettloff teaches kindergarten and was the last to speak. “We, your teaching staff, come here together to share with you our disappointment about not having a contract. “We don’t like this situation any more than you do, this is our district and we care about its success, its concerns, its students and their success. The disgruntlement among the teachers is growing,” Dettloff continued, “and before too long it will leave a permanent, irreversible blemish. We as a unit fully support our bargaining team and give them the authority to make decisions for us and to represent us fairly.

“We are in the hope that you feel the same way about your team,” she concluded.

IN OTHER BUSINESS, the board accepted the resignations of Nicole Ruhanen from cross-country and winter cheerleading coaching and from Ginger urban, who has retired as food services supervisor. The board agreed to hire Debra Schuiteman and Pennie Kelly as fall cheerleading coaches, Greg Erno as assistant junior varsity football coach and Robert Kortman as the cross country coach.

Board member Armand Loiselle mentioned that, “We don’t give the impression we are open to the community when we only give five minutes per person at the beginning of the meeting for a maximum of six persons.” Loiselle proposed that a permanent change to the agenda be made to allow five minutes for the public to respond to the issues the board discusses during its meetings. The idea was that the public should not have to wait 30 days for the next board meeting to be able to respond to something discussed at the current meeting. The proposal drew applause from the 30 to 4

0 people present at the meeting.

BOARD MEMBER Richard Hanson asked what progress had been made on the naming of a student representative to the board and was informed by school principal Deb Jones that the student council had not yet been constituted and they would be naming the individual(s) to serve as non-voting members of the board. Board member Allan Smolinski voiced concern that the rules for enforcing alcohol and tobacco sanctions were not strict enough to discourage students from partaking in them.

“Something needs to be done now. A three game suspension is nothing to these kids,” he said.

Superintendent Ed Schultz announced a “Meet the Candidates” event is scheduled September 27 and suggested, “To the teachers, if you want to make an impact, that’s the place to wear your T-shirts and show the legislators and candidates your concern.”

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