Negotiate a Fair Contract for Teachers in Scotch Plains-Fanwood Schools
Negotiate a Fair Contract for Teachers in Scotch Plains-Fanwood Schools
Why this petition matters
To the members of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education,
As concerned community members, we implore you to settle a fair contract with the teachers and staff in our schools who have been working under a contract that expired in June of 2018. These individuals are the heart and souls of our schools and they are not being respected or compensated at a level equal to their professional excellence.
In 2011, then-Governor Christie passed Chapter 78 into law. This restructured the State-administered Health Benefits Programs and required teachers and staff to contribute large percentages of their salaries to health insurance premiums. This lowered their take home pay significantly. Any pay raises they received, which are lower than the Union County average, didn't fill that gap. This resulted in many bringing home smaller paychecks than they did 8 years ago. Our teachers have taken on second and even third jobs to support their families because of this. How long can teachers be expected to give 100% to our children when they are doing more for less? This is not sustainable and is terrible for morale.
If this continues, we worry about the ability to attract high quality teachers to our district and run the risk of lower teacher retention. This could be detrimental to the future of SPF. If the quality of education starts to deteriorate, this will have an adverse affect on our state rankings and home property values. Our great schools are a huge attraction to home buyers and therefore this issue effects every household.
The time to negotiate a fair contract for these super-heroes in our community is NOW!
Please note, if you are a resident of Scotch Plains or Fanwood please ensure your town is displayed accurately before signing since some have been incorrect. Support from residents of any town are appreciated, but SPF will be most important to the Board of Ed.
Also note, we are NOT collecting any funds for this petition. If asked by Change.org to chip in any dollar amount to get this petition on the agenda, please skip that step. Refunds have been requested to anyone who donated. Sincere apologies.
Victory
This petition made change with 474 supporters!Share this petition
Decision Makers
- Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education