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Teachers urge clearer class-size limits after bargaining round ends with little movement
Summary
Teachers and union negotiators told the board they saw minimal progress in recent talks on class-size and special-education supports; the union said it will withdraw proposals to avoid impasse and reconvene bargaining in the spring.
A district teachers' representative described a failed round of negotiations over class sizes, special-education supports and contractual language, saying management proposals left little room for meaningful change.
"In all the years that I've been a negotiator, I've never seen so little movement," the speaker said, recounting bargaining discussions and the unions decision to withdraw proposals rather than go to impasse now. The representative urged the board and administration to produce clear, enforceable contract language to prevent class sizes from continuing to rise and to address overburdened special-education staff.
Board members acknowledged the difficulty of bargaining and asked to "sunshine" (publicly post) relevant items and reconvene early in the spring to reopen negotiations. The union said it will return to the table with the aim of reaching written agreements that can be implemented and sustained.
