To SESD in the Paper Again
If you want to write about public education, please get your information correct and also cease and desist from harping on the same misinformation. One error this year was the ranting about emergency certificates when the information was incorrect concerning substitute teachers as well as those who were previously certified in MD! FYI - schools are having trouble getting substitute teachers - emergency certified subs are a welcome addition to the lists and should not be denigrated. I also do not recall your reporting that the PDE certification department was months behind in processing certificates, and in the meantime they recommended obtaining an emergency certificate.....
You also need to understand the challenge of a good district like SESD in retaining young teachers. Many new teachers start their careers in smaller, rural districts, and then have an opportunity to a) move to another district that pays more, b) move to one closer to home, c) marry and move to be with their spouse or d) go to one that provides an opportunity for professional growth - administration, guidance, coaching, etc. In today’s paper, James McClure, in writing about Dr. Luther Sowers, refers to the “remote South Eastern School District.” Fact is, that is the way SESD has been always been viewed! You need only to look back through the history of SESD to find some outstanding teachers who are now employed elsewhere. Try York Suburban - and ask Mrs. Falatovich (German) or Mrs. Gladfelter (French), why they departed KD in the 80s. This is not a new phenomena! Check with any similar district - a former Susquehannock teacher is the chair of Suburban’s English department, another is the yearbook advisor, and several are in their special education department. Then go to Dallastown and see how many districts have teachers in this system. It is also true that when teachers or administrators who are not doing their job are held accountable, they tend to leave. Unfortunately for SESD, no administrator or School Board member may rebut these constant jabs because personnel information is confidential - and they are not allowed to refute publicly whatever anyone you “interview” tells you. Your tune on this entire topic is becoming tiresome at best.
Now on to contract negotiations. In case you are not aware, a teacher contract essentially is the largest expense that a School Board has any control over these days. The SESD contract contains some very favorable benefits for teachers. One of the biggest is the one you cited which is to pay health insurance for the teachers who have been there for many years until they qualify for medicare (not social security by the way). Find me another district with that as a benefit! You may see a year to maybe three of health coverage, but certainly not what is at SESD. It appears the teachers understand they now have a benefit until June 30, that they probably won’t have in a new contract - I commend them for being smart about taking this and their retirement rather than end up paying for possibly many years of health care if they elect to continue teaching a couple more years.
The School Board would indeed be giving away the fort to offer that benefit again (if you know what health care costs are per month). Perhaps that is one reason why they decided on an outside negotiator (who, by the way, is highly regarded as being one of the best in this area of PA). Then again, if you checked you might find out that most districts now hire contract negotiators for good reason. Do you think for one minute that the teachers are not being guided by a highly qualified group of attorneys and uniserve reps from PSEA? The School Board would be less than responsible if they did not see that the financial interests of the district and the taxpayers were safeguarded in this negotiations process, especially since there is Act I to contend with in today’s world.
Now, could you please stop slamming SESD? It’s a great district! If you cease being negative and take a close look at what is happening in SESD, you just might be surprised to see that the academic curriculum is quickly gaining strength, that the administrators are bright and committed, that the new teachers and many of the others are student-oriented and working hard, and that the buildings and facilities are finally getting straightened out. There is much to celebrate in SESD; a little positive support would go a long way!
