In the last few days I have talked to many people; from liberal to conservative, from teacher to laborer. After reading all the comments and processing all the feedback, I wanted to look at the big picture and point out some reoccurring themes. They are ones we have heard before. The desire for more transparency and respect, the need for community involvement, and the quest for honesty at the district level are the most common points.
First and foremost, the educators in this district (that I have spoken to) are offended. It is not just about the money. It is about the lack of communication from our district and board. A large group of people right now are passionately angry about their profession. Reason would cause the offending party to take a step back and re-evaluate. Why are the teachers so angry? What are we doing to cause such an intense reaction? How can we understand this situation better to find some middle ground? Instead the public sees the situation getting worse, with defending postures and unbecoming comments. Another wise educator told me today, “There is a major disconnect from employees.” This teacher reminded me, relationships matter and words matter.
The frustration also comes from the reality that no one seems to understand the perspective of the teachers. Why are they being vilified? They get accused of being “negative or whiny”. They are told they are not capable of understanding the financial situation and are being greedy. They get compared to other professions and told to be “thankful for what they get”. Our teachers are struggling for their reputation, for their professionalism, and their voice. Why is it so hard to understand that someone with 20 years of experience and an advanced degree is going to be a more effective (in any field) and should be rewarded for that? Can’t we say they should be paid significantly more than someone with five years of experience and no additional training? Are we really debating this? Can’t this be something we agree upon?
Secondly, why do contract negotiations have to be so difficult? How is it possible that two groups focused on making our school district better be on such extreme ends of their ideas? Understanding where RCEA is coming from is not that challenging. They have every right to stand their ground. They are not wrong or awful to do so. The nature of the process is to do what is best for our educators. When negotiations fall apart year after year the public begins to place blame and wants someone to take responsibility. Other districts do not have such problems. I know, they have opt-outs, they have additional taxes, but again it is not about the money. Other districts are forthcoming, other districts actually negotiate and they do not strong arm. In other districts you don’t have to dig and ask question after question. We are the only ones. Rapid City does not have the best reputation, especially at the state level. Do we want to continually be labeled the difficult district?
Finally, the most common thing I hear is the concept that superintendents come and go yet the story remains the same. This tells me it is not about money, it’ a systemic problem. The money helps but it doesn’t fix the philosophy behind the decision making. Decisions get made that the public and employees find surprising and unnecessary. Options are not explored to their fullest. The money is never there. Our districts’ finances are a mess from the public’s point of view. They see a district borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. The paper trail is lengthy, confusing, and buried in jargon. I have talked to many citizens who do not trust the district because of this fact. Please put something in writing that explains our financial state in detail and paints an accurate picture. Thank you for listening to my observations and opinions.
First and foremost, the educators in this district (that I have spoken to) are offended. It is not just about the money. It is about the lack of communication from our district and board. A large group of people right now are passionately angry about their profession. Reason would cause the offending party to take a step back and re-evaluate. Why are the teachers so angry? What are we doing to cause such an intense reaction? How can we understand this situation better to find some middle ground? Instead the public sees the situation getting worse, with defending postures and unbecoming comments. Another wise educator told me today, “There is a major disconnect from employees.” This teacher reminded me, relationships matter and words matter.
The frustration also comes from the reality that no one seems to understand the perspective of the teachers. Why are they being vilified? They get accused of being “negative or whiny”. They are told they are not capable of understanding the financial situation and are being greedy. They get compared to other professions and told to be “thankful for what they get”. Our teachers are struggling for their reputation, for their professionalism, and their voice. Why is it so hard to understand that someone with 20 years of experience and an advanced degree is going to be a more effective (in any field) and should be rewarded for that? Can’t we say they should be paid significantly more than someone with five years of experience and no additional training? Are we really debating this? Can’t this be something we agree upon?
Secondly, why do contract negotiations have to be so difficult? How is it possible that two groups focused on making our school district better be on such extreme ends of their ideas? Understanding where RCEA is coming from is not that challenging. They have every right to stand their ground. They are not wrong or awful to do so. The nature of the process is to do what is best for our educators. When negotiations fall apart year after year the public begins to place blame and wants someone to take responsibility. Other districts do not have such problems. I know, they have opt-outs, they have additional taxes, but again it is not about the money. Other districts are forthcoming, other districts actually negotiate and they do not strong arm. In other districts you don’t have to dig and ask question after question. We are the only ones. Rapid City does not have the best reputation, especially at the state level. Do we want to continually be labeled the difficult district?
Finally, the most common thing I hear is the concept that superintendents come and go yet the story remains the same. This tells me it is not about money, it’ a systemic problem. The money helps but it doesn’t fix the philosophy behind the decision making. Decisions get made that the public and employees find surprising and unnecessary. Options are not explored to their fullest. The money is never there. Our districts’ finances are a mess from the public’s point of view. They see a district borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. The paper trail is lengthy, confusing, and buried in jargon. I have talked to many citizens who do not trust the district because of this fact. Please put something in writing that explains our financial state in detail and paints an accurate picture. Thank you for listening to my observations and opinions.