Unable to reach a contract agreement, Shawnee Mission teachers warn of ‘mass exodus’
Union representatives in the Shawnee Mission school district warned there could be a “mass exodus” of teachers now that the two sides have failed to agree on a new contract for this school year — despite negotiating since last spring.
“Special education (teachers) could walk out today. There are openings in districts 10 miles from here in special ed. Young teachers can go to other districts and make more money,” said Linda Sieck, president of the National Education Association-Shawnee Mission. “Secondary teachers might be willing to take a pay decrease to know that their district is interested in working with teachers.”
School district administration and union officials met for five hours on Tuesday to take one last stab at reaching a contract agreement. The unsuccessful final session followed months of negotiations and a state-mandated fact-finding process.
The union said it could not agree to the district’s proposed contract because it does not address teachers’ workloads. Administrators said they cannot compromise and accept the union’s terms because the district does not have the resources and would be forced to operate at a steep deficit for the next few years.
Without an agreement, district spokesman David Smith said, the school board will impose a unilateral contract. The district did not release a specific unilateral offer on Tuesday. But throughout the session, board negotiators stuck to its proposal of a three-year contract with a 1% increase to the base salary this school year.
Sieck said that will leave teachers with three options: Accept the board’s contract, continue working under last year’s contract or resign.
Throughout this school year, Shawnee Mission teachers — the best paid in the state — have argued the contract negotiation is not about money. For many, it’s been about their workload.
Teachers have been packing school board meetings for several months, sharing feelings of emotional and physical exhaustion after instructing between 150 and 180 students each day.
Secondary teachers often instruct six classes every day, rather than the standard five in neighboring districts. Teachers say that leaves little time for grading, planning, talking to parents or advising students.
“I have 50 minutes built into my day to plan for four different subjects. I can’t be as good as I want to be at my job, which is a failure to my students, because they’re not getting the best,” said Geneva Grogan, a high school teacher. “I feel like I’m failing my kids. And that’s gut-wrenching.”
Teachers’ class loads were increased during former superintendent Jim Hinson’s tenure due to budgetary constraints. But after Kansas lawmakers last year approved $90 million more for schools — with Shawnee Mission receiving $9.8 million this school year — union leaders argued it was time to lighten workloads.
But after the final negotiation session on Tuesday, the union was unable to persuade the district to include a policy for reducing class loads in the contract proposal. The district estimates it would cost $5 million annually to adjust teacher workloads, which could include hiring new teachers to reduce class size.
Attorney Greg Goheen, representing the district, said the school board will instead address the issue this spring during strategic planning.
The district released the report completed by the state-mandated fact finder ahead of Tuesday’s meeting. It showed the union’s last contract proposal, which called for a 2% base salary increase in the first year, was “overly aggressive” and would result in deficit spending.
The report stated the parties should negotiate a two-year contract with a lower compensation increase than what the union proposed, but a slightly higher increase than what the district recommended.
Instead, the district proposed a three-year contract with a 1% bump in the base salary this year, followed by a 1.25% increase next year, and 1.5% in the third year. Goheen said the proposal would mean the district is allocating 79% of new state money to teacher compensation. It would still require the district to dip into reserves.
Goheen argued the longer contract would provide stability as the district plans its budgets in the coming years.
The union countered with its own three-year contract proposal, which would give teachers a 1.75% increase to the base salary in the first year. It would also provide teachers who instruct six classes a day with a stipend in the second and third years.
But the district rejected that offer, with Goheen saying it would lead to a budget deficit of $9.5 million over three years.
In one last attempt to address teacher workloads, the union offered a one-year contract with a 1.5% bump in the base salary. This offer excluded any demands related to reducing workload. But union leaders said the shorter contract would allow teachers to be part of the upcoming discussion on class load this spring, then negotiate again depending on the outcome.
But the district rejected that proposal as well, with administration pushing for a longer contract.
After failing to agree on any proposal, Goheen told union representatives the school board would move forward with imposing a unilateral contract. The board could meet in the coming days to discuss conditions.
At the end of the negotiating session, that announcement was met with teachers’ visible frustration.
“This board prefers paying attorneys to paying teachers,” Sieck said. “The unilateral contract will destroy the relationship between the teachers and this district.”
Smith said the district is engaged in several studies to examine teacher planning time, enrollment projections, teacher workload and other issues. The school board will consider implementing changes in its long-term strategic planning sessions this spring.
The district expects to have a plan for reducing teacher workloads by June, he said.
This story was originally published January 28, 2020 at 6:12 PM.
