ROCHESTER, Mich. — The teachers union and school board in Rochester Community Schools have reached tentative agreement on a three-year contract, but the community won’t know the details until the pact is ratified, according to The Oakland Press.
At least one local resident said the public should be allowed to review and offer comment before the board votes, The Press reported.
Rochester Education Association members are scheduled to vote Nov. 29-30 and the board is expected to vote on Dec. 1, The Press reported. Both sides have agreed not to release details in advance, according to The Press.
REA President Doug Hill told The Press that the sides may have reached agreement because they faced a formal hearing with a Michigan Employment Relations Commission fact finder in January and, “I’m not sure either side wanted to walk down that path.”
Former school board Trustee Mike Reno told The Press that refusing to release details in advance is designed to exclude public comment. He asked board members to delay its vote by two weeks, according to The Press.
District spokeswoman Deb Hartman told The Press that the district wouldn’t release any information the union wasn’t comfortable with.
SOURCE:
The Oakland Press, “Rochester
schools, teachers reach tentative deal,” Nov. 17, 2010
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy,
“Recaps of New Teacher Contracts,” Oct. 18, 2010
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