Dozens urge Walled Lake board to resolve teacher contract and raise starting pay
Summary
Parents, teachers and retirees told the board that low starting salaries and a months‑long absence of a contract are harming recruitment and extracurricular programs; petition organizers delivered more than 750 signatures.
During public comment, multiple parents, teachers and retirees urged the board to bring teacher salary negotiations to a close and raise starting pay. Erin Johnson said a petition she helped organize had "over 750 signatures" and that 85% of those signatures were from district ZIP codes. Several speakers said Walled Lake's starting teacher pay lags neighboring districts and cited recruitment and retention problems.
Brenda Raymond, a junior kindergarten teacher retiring after 38 years, said starting pay "just under $40,000" is nearly two decades behind inflation‑adjusted levels and urged 'meaningful' bottom‑of‑scale increases. Commenters also described unpaid extracurricular commitments while contracts remain unsettled and asked the board to take stronger steps with administration to finalize negotiations.
Board members acknowledged public frustration and said they are asking questions in private and may hold closed sessions as needed; trustees emphasized they are trying to be fiscally responsible while seeking fair contracts.
