By Liz McBreen
Negotiations began in February of 2001, and continued after the old contract lapsed. Both sides went through mediation, an integral phase of the negotiating process, from September to August of 2001. While no settlement was reached during this time, an agreement was struck during the second phase of the process, the fact finding phase, which began in January of this year.
During this stage of the negotiations, a hearing was held. A person appointed by each side had an opportunity to make his or her case for the opposite side. When both sides agreed on all of the points covered in the contract, a written agreement was signed and approved.
The contract was written for four years, the first being retroactive to cover the 2001-02 school year. The new settlement will expire in June of 2005.
As part of the new contract, the length of the teachers' work day was increased by twenty minutes, bringing it to a seven hour work day for teachers across the district. Educators are also being asked to devote ten hours to 'professional development periods', which are intended to keep teachers current in their profession.
According to School Board President Martin Kaye, "This is important to the children as well as the board. The state wants us to meet higher standards, and these development training sessions improve teachers' skills."
The settlement also calls for the teachers to schedule one hour a week to stay after school hours to offer students extra help, and the teachers have been offered "the going rate" in terms of salary, according to Kaye.
"I think this is a good settlement," said Kaye, adding, "the only misgiving I had is how long it took to come an agreement, but it is important that the contract is successful, and that the children gain from it.
The settlement should ease the tension that has built up over the last school year. At a picket held by the teachers union in front of the West Hempstead Kindergarten Center on the evening of April 8, Jonathan Singer, a teacher at the high school, described the situation as frustrating. "Morale has definitely suffered among the teachers, and I personally know of about a dozen teachers in my school who are actively looking for jobs in other districts."
Kaye admits that it is impossible for everyone involved to be completely satisfied in a situation like this, but he is confident about the future of the West Hempstead district, "This is going to be a terrific year for us. The class of 2002 was one of the best we have had in a long time. I hate to lose them, but we are going to have another great class this year."
