Allegany teachers fight for fair and just settlements
The Allegany County Teachers Association (ACTA) is in the midst of contentious contract negotiations with the Allegany County Board of Education. Despite coming to agreement over the overall settlement amount, ACTA and the Board have fought over three issues: The Board unfairly proposes to break its promise to treat employees with advanced placement certificates equitably on salaries, to cut off its financial support for the ACTA president’s position, and to raise health insurance premiums for a large majority of employees by $700.
Now the Board has rejected ACTA’s request to go to mediation. ACTA’s next step is to call for open negotiations. Stay tuned for more details!
Read a recent article on the controversy >>
Listen to ACTA’s radio ad >>
Allegany County can be proud of its public schools. We rank extremely high compared to other counties in the
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Number of highly qualified teachers with advanced certificates
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Improvement in student test scores
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Student graduation rates
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Student scores on college entrance exams
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And the number of graduates going to college
A highly qualified and dedicated teaching force is the backbone of student achievement and success.
So why is the local Board of Education reneging on its commitments to highly qualified teachers? Teachers were told when hired and throughout their careers that pursuing an advanced professional certificate would result in higher salaries. Now the Board is going back on its word.
And the Board is giving teachers another slap in the face. For the last decade, the Board has helped provide teachers with full-time representation, recognizing that it is in the best interest of public education to have a partnership between school employees and the Board. Now, it wants to weaken the voice of teachers by withdrawing its current level of support for full-time representation.
To continue their progress, Allegany public schools require an atmosphere of mutual respect, cooperation, and collaboration. The Board is emphasizing fairness and respect among students–shouldn’t it lead by example? It’s time for the Board of education to demonstrate fairness and respect in dealing with its hard-working, dedicated employees.
Brought to you by the Allegany County Teachers Association. We’re working hard to ensure a bright future for our students.
