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Teacher 'layoffs' Peril New Pact

Teacher 'layoffs' Peril New Pact image
Parent Issue
Day
10
Month
June
Year
1971
Copyright
Copyright Protected
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
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The Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA) "will not under any circumstances" accept a new contract for 197172 unless all the 256 probationary teachers who received employment-termination notices earlier this year are offered jobs, AAEA president told the Ann Arbor Board of Education last night. According to Anne Enderby, AAEA president, "The school board has acted with haste and without wisdom in laying off the 256 teachers and recalling 139. I am amazed that no one on the board raised any public questions regarding the list which you approved last week." Miss Enderby criticized the administration for not involving principáis in creating the list and for allowing some depsrtments to now be only half-staffed. She also said that since there has been no indication that the board intends to reduce programs ör to escálate class sizes, this recall procedure cannot reflect the needs of the system. "We believe the excess teachers hired by the board last fall have been more than compensated for by normal retirements and resignations, as well as the projected increase in student numbers," she said. The new AAEA president also said: "We will not let down any of the 256 teachers who have worked diligently in this school system and who have been recommended by their principáis to return to Ann Arbor. We will not let down the students of the Ann Arbor public schools by allowing the quality of the system to be deteriorated." The Ann Arbor board voted last week to rehire 139 probationary teachers whüse jobs have been in jeopardy since e a r 1 y April when 246 teachers were mailed termination o f employment notices because of the school district's financial uncertainties. Now that slightly more than half have been rehired, the fato of the remaining 116 hinges primarily on the voters' acceptance or rejection of a 2.61-mill tax increase whicr will appear on the June 14 school election ballot. Trustee Paul Carrington said, following Miss Enderby's statement, that he was appalled to learn that the final - ■ stages of teacher selection were alphabetical and that subject needs were not covered. He also said that he was somewhat puzzled by the administration's procedure and that he regretted not asking more questions about the recommendation that the board approved. School Supt. W. Scott Westerman Jr. sa:d, "I'm grateful that Miss Enderby's statement refers to the subject matter need of the students instead of the master agreement." Miss Enderby indicated last night that the AAEA would be willing to settle "for a reasonable salary commitment" if the 256 teachers were rehired.