Hundreds of Naperville District 203 teachers, parents, students and community members rallied before the school board meeting Monday night in support of a fair teachers’ contract.
Union members, whose contract expired June 30, are hoping to get a new deal in place by the start of school next week.
“The teachers in this district are extremely compassionate, loving and supportive of every child,” said Carol Higgins, a special education teacher at Lincoln Junior High School. “We are not trying to take advantage of anyone. We want to be fairly compensated to do the best job we can.”
Wearing red and carrying signs with such messages as “A fair deal builds strong schools” and “If you want the outcome, we need the income,” educators and their supporters marched from Naperville Central High School to the district’s administration center to bring awareness to their cause.
Union President Ross Berkley said the board has a history of dragging out negotiations, and several teachers said they would rather be preparing to welcome children into their classrooms without the distractions of an unsettled contract.
A negotiations team with the Naperville Unit Education Association has met with the district 18 times since February, Berkley said. The union represents more than 1,500 teachers and licensed staff for District 203, which serves nearly 16,000 students.
“The school year hasn’t even begun yet, and I’m already tired,” Naperville North High School EL (English Learners) teacher Amy Vogelsang said. “I’m tired of every contract being a battle … and I’m tired of being vilified by the employer who should have our back.”
In July, the union initiated the public posting process with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, which is the first step toward a possible strike. Union leadership indicated they do not want to go on strike, but want to be transparent with the community.
Several teachers said they have serious concerns about earning a competitive salary.
Berkley said the district is falling behind other school districts, including Indian Prairie School District 204, Elmhurst District 204, St. Charles District 303, Wheaton District 200 and Plainfield District 202. Teacher workload has increased with the expectation of differentiated learning and increased student academic, behavior and social-emotional needs.
“We are the best performing unit school district in Illinois, and we are not compensated as such,” Berkley said.
He noted that residents choose to live in Naperville because of its strong schools.
“Do they honestly believe Naperville parents who likely moved here for the schools want the district to cut corners when it comes to their children’s education,” said Dianne McGuire, a retired teacher and president of NUEA from 1986-1997, citing sentiment from the community.
The union also said the district has more than 300 days of cash on hand, which is twice the amount recommended by the Illinois State Board of Education.
Union officials have asked for a 4.9% salary increase in the first year and a 4.85% increase each of the following three years, according to the Illinois Education Association. District 203 has offered a 2.2% increase in the first year and a 1.8% increase the next year with the third and fourth year of the contract based off the consumer price index.
Bargaining meetings are set for later this week.
“We are working to reach a fair and sustainable agreement with the NUEA that supports students, values exceptional educators and reflects the principles of our community,” the district said in a statement. “We continue to negotiate in good faith and remain optimistic about reaching an agreement before the school year begins.”
Last week, Superintendent Dan Bridges sent a message to parents saying the district is encouraged by the progress being made and believe they are moving closer to a mutual agreement.
“Our focus is on finding a solution that both provides fair compensation for our educators and protects the financial sustainability of our school district,” Bridges wrote.
The district and teachers’ union have been working with a neutral facilitator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, officials said.
Teachers also said they were concerned about the uncertainty of the Innovative School Experience, a proposal that was tabled in April that alters the start and end times of the school day and changes the learning structure.
Erin Meehan-Browning, a fifth-grade teacher at Elmwood Elementary School, said the district tried to rush the Innovative School Experience without input from the teachers, which was a blow to staff morale.
“Morale is continuing to crumble as the district fails to make progress (by) agreeing to a fair contract with NUEA,” she said.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
