The Cheltenham School District released a statement on January 13th that provided an update and its position on the negotiation of a new contract with its teachers and support personnel. Below is the statement:

Dear Cheltenham School District Community –

The Cheltenham School District and Cheltenham Educators’ Association (CEA) began negotiating a new contract in January 2019. The teachers’ contract expired June 30, 2019. Concurrently, we are negotiating a contract with our Business Employees’ Council Support Personnel (BEC).

We value and respect our teachers and staff and understand their critical roles in helping us provide the best possible educational experience for all of the district’s students.

Our intent is to provide clear and transparent communication about this process, conveying the district’s major financial and educational challenges and opportunities, as well as our goals for these contracts. We hope the attached document helps you understand the district’s ongoing fiscal challenges and the tough decisions we need to make.

Sincerely,

Julie Haywood
President, Board of School Directors

Joel I. Fishbein
Vice President, Board of School Directors

In the above document that is available for download, the district outlines its financial position and some issues it wants to address in new contracts. For example, the district wants to move towards block scheduling. Read it and let us know what you think in the comments.