Published: August 27, 2008 10:36 am      

Many Mount Tabor teachers skip open house during contract negotiations

Some parents weren’t ready for what wasn’t waiting for them at Tuesday night’s open house at Mount Tabor Elementary School.

Teachers.

Many were not there, presumably because of ongoing contract negotiations and the teachers association’s call for teachers to stop all voluntary services — including attending open houses — until an agreement is reached.

Christina Eiler was one of those parents. Eiler, who works for a union, came by herself to meet her son’s kindergarten teacher. She stood outside the locked, dark room, confused.

“It’s sort of rough. This is a big mom thing here,” Eiler said of going to her only child’s first open house. “I still haven’t gotten to meet his teacher.

“I understand on one hand, but it’s one of those things where kids should come first.”

Misty Sinkfield, whose daughter is in the second grade, said it’s “not right” that some teachers weren’t there and that the administration needs to get the contract settled.

“I feel as though the teachers aren’t getting what they want, so they probably won’t educate our babies like they should,” Sinkfield said. “[The administration needs to] get the teachers what they want so that they can teach these children without having to worry about this raise.

“Teachers are the foundation of all of us. Without teachers, we have nothing.”

“I think that’s kind of bad they’re not here,” said Susan Stagg, parent of a first-grader. “I would’ve been disappointed if [Lizzy Suiter] wasn’t here.”

Suiter said she came mostly because she is a new teacher.

“I love kids and I love the chance to meet the parents,” she said after saying goodbye to the last family to visit her room. “I like coming to the open house because if parents see you in a positive way first, it helps.”

She said the rest of the week is filled with “meet and greets” in the morning, during contracted hours. She said that time will allow parents to meet with teachers who weren’t there Tuesday. She said she believes this is the first time for this event.

Principal Tony Duffy said he wasn’t sure how many teachers showed for Tuesday’s open house, though The Tribune noticed many classrooms were closed. However, he said that would not keep the school from hosting this and other events.

“Kids are No. 1,” he said. “We will continue to have those things we’ve always had.”

Duffy estimated that about 300 parents/students came to the open house.

Attempts to reach Mark Kessans, president of the education association, and Dave Rarick, director of communications for the corporation, were unsuccessful.



ABOUT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

• The New Albany-Floyd County Education Association’s last contract expired in December. The group, which represents about 700 employees from the New Albany-Floyd County Consolidated School Corp., announced in the spring that members would be stopping voluntary duties, such as attending open houses, until a contract is reached.

The former contract will remain effective until a new agreement is made.