Teachers seeking new "fair and equitable" contract
Published on November 22nd, 2006
STONEHAM, MA - Stoneham teachers came out in full force Thursday night pleading their case to the school committee for a new contract.
The Stoneham Teachers Association (STA) has been working without a contract since June and the general consensus of those in attendance is that a fair and equitable one is what stands between them and the continuation of quality education in the Stoneham Public Schools. However, what is considered fair and equitable by the teachers and what the town can afford is proving to be a hold up that a mediator will soon rule on.
According to Stoneham teacher Patty Nolan, a long time resident of the town, Stoneham teachers are the lowest paid teachers in the Middlesex League.
"Stoneham teacher salaries are shockingly low," she told the committee.
Based on 2005 figures from the Massachusetts Department of Education website, the average salary of a Stoneham teacher is about $9,600 less than the average teacher in the Middlesex League, and about $7,000 less than the state average. Some of the differences between Stoneham and other towns are marked - in Watertown and Burlington, the average teacher makes $13,000 and $15,000 more, respectively, than the average Stoneham teacher. And that unfairness must stop, Nolan said.
"This town is filled with people who received a public school education paid for by someone else, but now that it is their turn to pay, many find it fashionable to renege."
Bonad Road resident and 30 year Stoneham teacher Marie Coughlin advised the committee of a trend that sees young teachers coming in but not staying in the Stoneham School System.
"The money in other towns is drawing them away...We owe it to the children of Stoneham to keep these great teachers and to enhance the new teachers coming in."
Teachers overwhelmingly praised the dedication and professionalism of their peers in the Stoneham school system. Chris Toomey, a Stoneham school teacher and long time Stoneham resident urged the School Committee to do more to secure a contract that is fair "to the more than 200 men and women who come to work every day to meet the needs of the children in Stoneham."
This dedication and professionalism has not wavered, the teachers said, despite the loss of staff and programs over the past several years. One teacher explained that teachers often bring supplies from home because of spending freezes and budget restrictions, such as televisions, computers, furniture, food and supplies.
"To the general public, it looks like business as usual. That's because of the tireless efforts of the teaching staff the town of Stoneham employs. We make it work and we continue to make it work with less and less...(but) it is difficult to maintain that level of dedication and energy when you know your salary is not in line with other Middlesex League communities."
"Please stop the loss of good teachers and good programs. I urge you to find a way to settle a contract that is fair and just for the teachers and students of Stoneham," added Stoneham teacher and resident Cheryl Werlin.
School Committee Chair Kristin Russo thanked the teachers for coming out and alerting the community to their fight.
"Hopefully mediation will lead us to a fair and equitable contrast in the near future"
School Committee member Miriam Regan Fiore also thanked the teachers for their input, and requested that the teachers help in the fight by calling Stoneham's legislators to reiterate that "Stoneham is long overdue for some financial relief."
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