Star-Journbal Editor
Recent contract disputes between teachers' unions and school boards are making front-page news across the nation:
— In Gary, Ind., classes were canceled indefinitely as of Aug. 24, and teachers were on the picket lines. At last report, all talks had broken off between teachers and the board, which have not reached a contract agreement since December 2004.
— In Detroit, Mich., teachers frustrated by failed efforts to reach a contract agreement with the city's public school district were on strike Monday and said they were prepared to stand their ground for as long as it takes.
— In Swansea, Ill., the Whiteside school district and teachers' union will be assisted by a federal mediator requested by the union. The teachers in the union have been working without a contract.
These aren't the headlines in Hillsboro, however, thanks in part to a non-confrontational type of negotiating process called Interest Based Bargaining.
Using IBB as its guide, the USD 410 Educators Association and the USD 410 Board of Education reached an agreement that pleased both parties.
"It's much less stressful to be in a district without lots of animosity between the teachers' association and the board," said teacher Jim Robb, head negotiator for the HEA.
At a meeting scheduled for Wednesday, the IBB group is expected to accept a seven percent raise for teachers, concluding a 10-month process which both sides agree was conflict free.
"It makes it easier to keep in mind what we're all interested in, which is the education of young people," said Robb, who teaches government at the high school.
"We've been interested in creating a salary schedule and set of benefits that values the teachers and the quality of work they do for the district."
The next step will be a vote by the union's 20-member body, which is expected to ratify the agreement. Non-union teachers in the district would be covered under the same agreement.
In a special meeting Aug. 24, the board approved classified and administrative salaries, which gives a seven percent raise to employees making less than $57,000 per year, and four percent to employees making more than that amount.
"I think we need to be proud as a board and district as a whole of the compensation package to our classified employees," said board president Rod Koons.
"They are the backbone, the bus drivers, cooks, custodians; we need these people. And we've got good people."
(USD 410 employees' salaries are public record and available for viewing at the board office).
With regard to setting teachers' salaries, Koons said the IBB process had proven to be valuable since being adopted three years ago.
"It's non-confrontational, more shared, much more collaborative, with no conflict involved," Koons said, adding that there was "a nice working relationship" between the board and the teachers' union.
While the district and the union haven't had to contend with turbulent inner-city issues, such as a declining tax base or dwindling populations, both parties have made an effort to understand how local issues can impact the district.
"In this process, both parties see themselves as part of the whole," Robb said. "So it's not USD 410 Educators Association vs. the Board of Education, but a team of negotiators representing both interests, working to find a solution that will satisfy and meet the needs of all in the district."
Negotiations began late last year with a discussion about what needed to be discussed; the issue, problems, and perspectives from the teachers' and the board's point of view, Robb said.
"Because of the give and take, the talks have been peaceful and productive," he said.
Both parties agreed early on that it was important to "see a good increase" in teachers' pay, to help the district stay competitive, Robb said.
Koons agreed, adding, "We set out to try to raise our salaries above the norm in comparison to schools that we like to compare ourselves to."
The IBB team researched master contracts from other districts within the same league, as well as other communities with 3A high schools, "that we would like to live in," Koons said.
The HEA is a local chapter of the National Education Association (NEA), which according to a policy statement on its web site, supports a minimum salary of at least $40,000 for all teachers in the nation's public schools.
Bringing salaries to NEA-acceptable standards may not be required in rural areas of the country, but higher salaries are often needed to recruit and keep good teachers, and to maintain high morale.
While vacationing this summer, Koons came face to face with a couple of angry and disgruntled teachers from somewhere in Indiana, he said.
They were not happy campers.
"Both of then had had two years of wage freezes," Koons said.
Even before getting a seven percent raise, Robb said a majority of USD 410 teachers weren't planning to pull up stakes. With today's news, most realize they have a lot to be thankful for.
"Hillsboro has a good school system, with excellent facilities and a quality staff," Robb said. "It's in a good community that supports the schools well
"It's a good place to teach. People do leave the district for a variety of reasons and for some, money concerns have been a part of the decision to leave.
"Speaking in general terms, however, I think staff members are happy in this district."
