Board approves three-year collaborative-conferencing MOU with teachers association

The Coffee County Board of Education voted 8-0 to approve a three-year collaborative-conferencing memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Coffee County Education Association, covering 2025–2028.

Doctor Charles Powell explained that the MOU is the product of a 14-member team — seven administrators and seven teachers — that negotiated changes under the district’s collaborative-conferencing process. Powell said those items include working-conditions matters and that some items will become board policies after approval.

Leslie Aaron, identified in the discussion as a lead negotiator for the teachers, helped review the document with the board. The board’s attorney, Chuck Cagle, reviewed the MOU and advised trustees that the content was legal under current state rules for collaborative conferencing.

Board members discussed the MOU’s grievance procedure at length. Board attorney and staff said the MOU grievance process is limited to MOU items — working conditions specifically handled under collaborative conferencing — and is separate from other systemwide grievance policies such as harassment or personnel discipline. The board asked how the grievance steps align with existing policy; staff said timelines were added but legal counsel had reviewed the alignment.

Trustees also questioned several operational provisions raised in the MOU, including a written policy that teachers are not required to check school email outside working hours and a provision clarifying teacher admission to regular-season sporting events using district-issued identification. Powell said text message and phone call expectations were removed from the "no-off-hours-check" language so principals could still contact staff in some urgent situations.

After discussion and clarifications from staff and counsel, the board approved the MOU as written, 8-0.