Dallas School District teachers recently picketed in front of a school board member’s place of business.
Picketing a school board member’s place of business should be beneath the dignity of teachers. All school board members volunteer to serve their community without one penny of pay and do not deserve to be disrespected or embarrassed.
We are blessed to have our school board filled by men and women of great integrity.
This strike nonsense should be settled.
If it is not, I support any action by the board to advertise the jobs. My guess is that teaching positions in Dallas would prove to be in great demand. If the strike is settled with our existing teachers, I urge that any provisions of a new agreement be made effective at the point of signing. There should be no back pay. The teachers should not be paid a bonus for going on such a disruptive strike.
The union is fond of pointing out that they have been without a contract since Aug. 31, 2015. The fact is, the district has been honoring the details of that contract all the while, including paying for the teachers’ health plans. The question is why is the district continuing such generosity. Why shouldn’t all health care coverage payments be stopped until a new agreement is in place? It appears to me, under the circumstances, the district is financing the teachers strike.
Almost half of those who have chosen to run for the Dallas School Board in the coming election are teachers or have expressed opinions supporting the union membership. I would not recommend adding any of them to the board while expecting them to view salary/benefits negotiations impartially.
Clarke D. Bittner
Dallas
