RSU 21 teachers’ contract nears expiration amid stalled negotiations, low morale

KENNEBUNK, Maine — The current teachers' contract at RSU 21 is set to expire at the end of the month and negotiations between the union and administration have come to a standstill.

The next step in the negotiation process is mediation, according to Matthew Shinberg, communications director for RSU 21, and Jennifer Swan, president of the Kennebunk Arundel Kennebunkport Educators Association.

The mediation will start on Thursday, Aug. 22. The current contract is in effect until August 31.

"In the event a contract is not ratified by August 31, we continue to operate under the current contract," Shinberg said.

Negotiations for a new contract between the Kennebunk Arundel Kennebunkport Educators Association and the RSU 21 School Board began in December. Swan confirmed that the process is taking longer than usual.

“Historically, we have ratified our contract by the end of the school year,” she said. “In our district, it is rare to work without a ratified contract.”

The contract negotiations are taking place amid rising tensions between local educators and Superintendent Terri Cooper, her administration, and the School Board.

During public hearings and interviews with the press, teachers have stated that morale is low because they do not feel respected and supported by the administration and fear they will suffer consequences if they speak up and challenge circumstances. Teachers have also complained Cooper is too focused on her central office and, particularly, on the departments of human resources and public relations.

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What is holding up new teachers' contract?

Pay is one important issue for teachers during this negotiation, Swan said.

“We need a salary that allows us to live in the community we serve and one that is competitive with local districts in order to retain and attract educators,” Swan said. “Our goal is to stop losing talented RSU 21 educators to neighboring districts.”

The freedom to plan on their own for their classes is another issue, Swan added. During a recent interview, one RSU 21 educator lamented that the superintendent’s office was micromanaging teachers’ “prep times.”

“We need to be treated as professionals and be given the discretion of our planning time,” Swan said. “We, the educators, interact with the students and best understand their individual needs. This is why self-directed planning time is crucial, so we can guide students in reaching their full potential.”

Swan also expressed a desire for more collaboration between teachers and Cooper and her administration.

“We are professionals who are invested in student success and wellbeing,” Swan said. “Our primary focus will always be the students, regardless of any challenges that exist outside the classroom. We would also like to be able to collaborate with administration to make sure that we are able to do what is in the best interest of our students, educators, and all staff.”

Why is a mediator needed to solve contract dispute?

During a meeting in late June, School Board member Kristin Shapiro, who chairs the human resources subcommittee, said the negotiations thus far had included “meaningful dialogue.” Shapiro said the School Board and administration and the Kennebunk Arundel Kennebunkport Educators Association had resolved several issues and had made adjustments that both sides could support.

Shapiro then spoke of the need for an outside mediator to help resolve a few “outstanding issues that both sides care very deeply about.”

“We are optimistic that using this approach will help us to finalize a contract quickly,” Shapiro said.

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Teachers say morale is low at RSU 21

Educators and community stakeholders also have expressed alarm about the number of resignations occurring in the district.

According to Shinberg, 37 district employees resigned between late April and mid-July. Of them, 24 were teachers, specialists, and administrators, and 13 were from the district’s non-certified staff, which includes education technicians, transportation employees, administrative assistants, and nutrition workers.

Cooper has said the number of resignations is in step with trends in other school districts throughout the state and nation. The resignations, she said, have been for a variety of given reasons – retirements and relocations, for example.

Regarding pay, Cooper said the district is paying teachers what it can afford, with finances approved by voters.

“This is not to dismiss the morale concerns people have brought up,” Cooper said in July. “We hear those concerns and work hard to address them while also balancing the needs of every other part of this district.”

Swan said her fellow teachers’ goal is to be “treated as professionals and have administration respect our professional judgment and support our professional needs.” She expressed appreciation for those in the community who have spoken up for local teachers.

“We appreciate the support the community continues to voice for us,” she said.

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This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: RSU 21 teachers’ contract nears expiration amid stalled negotiations, low morale