Mike Rizzoli, president of the Montgomery Township Education Association (MTA), told the board the association has been working under an expired contract since July 1 and urged the board to make negotiations a priority.

"Despite this and despite rumors to the contrary, MTA members have been doing their jobs and doing them well," Rizzoli said. He asked the board to "stop misrepresenting the issues surrounding bargaining, and instead focus your energies on securing a fair contract for your staff." Rizzoli said members continue to work long hours "above and beyond contract work" and asked the board to show respect and to prioritize bargaining.

Multiple teachers, association leaders and parents spoke during the public-comment portion. Chris Resch, first vice president of the MTA and a long-time science teacher, said volunteers who run extracurriculars and clubs do so to benefit students and to set an example, and he rejected public portrayals that union members are using students "as leverage." "I submit, the real lesson our students are seeing is that adults can stand up for fairness and respect, and still show up for work every day with dedication, compassion, and heart," Resch said.

Teachers and school administrators who spoke described the district as a community they value and asked the board to trust staff judgment and to avoid social-media posts and public comments that they said undermined morale. Several speakers, including Jane Huebner (a long-serving chemistry teacher) and Tanisha Douglas (social studies), said board members' public remarks had left staff feeling disrespected and had discouraged some community members from speaking at meetings.

Multiple commenters urged the board to settle the contract so educators are not expected to volunteer time to sustain clubs and programs. Parents and teachers tied the contract impasse to practical effects in schools, including adviser availability for student clubs.

Board members did not announce a negotiated settlement at the meeting; the comments intensified public pressure to resolve outstanding bargaining issues.