SCHOOL
BOARD SHARES NEGOTIATION GOALS, EMPHASIZES EAGERNESS TO DEVELOP BALANCED
PROPOSAL
January 20…Eager to set a positive
tone for negotiations with its teachers union, the Great Valley School Board
has shared its negotiation goals with the public. The goals will serve as a
framework for developing a proposal which balances the needs of students,
teachers and taxpayers.
The negotiation goals, presented at
the January 20 School Board meeting, are as follows:
·
To
collaboratively explore options for addressing the time-related needs of
teachers and students in a manner that supports the delivery of the school
district’s high quality educational program.
·
To reduce the financial
impact that escalating health care costs have on the school district and
taxpayers by implementing new cost-sharing provisions.
·
To continue to foster a
positive environment by supporting initiatives which make Great Valley a
superior place to work and to learn.
“We have begun the formal negotiation process and feel
that the goals we have developed will be instrumental in ensuring that our proposal
achieves a balance which is fair for all parties involved,” stressed School
Board president Katherine Pettiss.
In addition to presenting these
goals, the School Board also announced its plans to help the public understand
the district’s negotiation process as it moves forward by posting informational
updates on its website (www.gvsd.org) and
distributing these updates to the press.
“We respect our teachers and it is not our objective to share all
of the details of negotiations with the public. We do believe, however, that
the public is entitled to updates on key milestones as negotiations progress,”
emphasized Pettiss.
The School Board’s Negotiating Team and the teachers union began formal talks on January 6. The next session will be held on January 28.
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