School District 11 teacher ‘walk-in’ protest proceeds as scheduled in Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Single-digit temperatures and snow Wednesday morning made taking a stand cold work for disgruntled teachers in District 11 who are at odds with the school board.
But dozens of teachers did stand outside in front of their schools before the start of classes, to express their displeasure in the board's recent dissolution of its master agreement with the teachers' union — the Colorado Springs Education Association (CSEA).
Approximately 20 teachers gathered between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. at Christa McAuliffe Elementary School, holding signs in a show of solidarity.
"I hope that the school board sees us as one, as a union," said Angie Rivera, a D-11 teacher for 17 years. "We are serious about wanting to be the best teachers we can be. The first step in making that happen is to have a contract that shows we trust each other, and want to work together.
She downplayed the possibility of a teachers' strike.
"I don't know that it's imminent, but it's definitely possible," Rivera said.
D-11 officials say only very minor changes are in store with the end of the master agreement, and their plan going forward is to develop a new employee handbook.
“We are aligning our practices with the surrounding 16 school districts. None of those school districts have a master agreement, they have an employee handbook," explained Parth Melpakam with the District 11 Board. "The board promised that we would ensure that their salaries and working conditions are only going to improve. None of their rights are being taken away."
Another district spokesperson said the change will allow them to hire new employees in a timely manner, citing stipulations under the master plan that require a union board member to be involved with prospective employee interviews. She said challenges arise during the summer when union board members don't have as much availability.
District officials encourage anyone with questions or concerns to attend public feedback meetings. Click here for details.
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