Schools

D135 Parents Seek Reasons for Teacher Contract Delays

After about 10 months of deadlocked teachers' contract negotiations, and little said by either side as to why, parents fearing a strike seek clarity at the next board of ed meeting.

Clarification, Monday, Dec. 12: The original story stated the teachers union proposed a three-year salary freeze. Sources have since said a wage freeze wasn’t offered, though neither the school board nor the teachers union could offer information on the nature of the negotiations as they stand.

A large crowd of parents eager for an update on the long-stalled teacher contract negotiations is expected at ’s Board of Education meeting Monday night.

Teachers have been without a new contract since July 31. Negotiations between the local branch of the Illinois Federation of Teachers and district representatives began about four months before the last contract expired.

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Since then, neither side has spoken publically about what is causing the delay, and parents fear a strike may be the result if the impasse continues.

Several attendees at 's Parents for Education meeting Thursday expressed frustration with the lack of communication, said Abby Azhar, co-president of the ’s PFE.

Find out what's happening in Orland Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We have nothing to base an opinion on,” Azhar said. “The atmosphere of the district will get more negative as this continues. As parents we have a right to know what’s going on, and as taxpayers we have a right to know.”

Azhar, an Orland Park resident since 1995 with four children, said she hopes an official impasse can be declared so some public update can be made. In the 10 years her kids have attended school in District 135, she does not recall teachers striking.

Julie Sullivan, a mother of four who has lived in Orland Park for 14 years, also hasn’t seen a strike within District 135 before.

“I was very disappointed in not knowing this whole time, only to learn within the last day that a strike could happen,” Sullivan said. “Anything that’s going on if it affects our kids, I think the parents should be in the loop.”

The agenda for Monday night’s board meeting does not list a specific announcement about the negotiations to be made, though such an update could occur during closed session because it involves collective bargaining.

On the agenda, the portion marked for closed session reads: “to discuss probable litigation, collective negotiating matters, and the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees or legal counsel.”

Orland Park resident Jean Corridon was also critical about the lack of contract, as well as the forced demotion of former secretary Melanie Walsh, at the last board meeting held Nov. 14.

“How discouraging for them," Corridon said at the meeting. "What better way to negatively impact the quality of the children's education than to ."

The board will meet for committee of the whole at 6:30 p.m. Monday at and then the full board meeting at 7:30 p.m.


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