Board Meeting 11-6-25 (2)

001Right now our district is struggling to hire and keep certified teachers. In this moment, we are having difficulty, when we are having difficulty attracting and retaining teachers, the last thing we should be doing is making working conditions more stressful or adversarial. Yet the district's proposal includes punitive language towards permanent members, permanent members like me. At a time when the district is struggling to recruit and retain qualified teachers, tying movement on the salary schedule to evaluations is not only disrespectful, it's counterproductive. Teachers are not asking for special treatment. They're asking for professional respect and a contract that reflects their dedication to students. We all want strong schools. We want students to receive the education they deserve, but that cannot happen if teachers are discouraged, demoralized, or leaving faster than we can replace them. And I'm going to be honest with you guys, we're demoralized. This is how we feel. If our goal is to attract and retain high-quality teachers, then we should be doing the opposite of what is currently being proposed. We should invest in competitive pay and benefits and foster trust and respect, not fear and punishment. Teachers are the foundation of our schools. As many of us say, we are on the front lines every single day. We are the people who know our students, your children, by their name, understand their needs, and show up every single day prepared to give more of ourselves than the contract could ever capture.