McPherson Hopeful On Pact; Conn Critical Of Teachers

While School Supt. R. Brucé McPherson stated at the Ann Arbor Board of Education meeting last night he "was optimistic about reaching a settlement with the Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA)," Trustee Robert Conn criticized teachers for striking and said he "would spend what the taxpayers had given and no more." Failure to reach a contract settlement resulted in a three-day teachers strike at the opening of school this year. Negotiations were to open between the board and the association this afternoon in I closed session. According to Conn, it was difficult for him to be sympathetic to the demands of the AAEA, especially with the problems existing in the schools. He also said that since the public had defeated the millage increase last June, he must abide by that decisión to use only the money available. ■ McPherson said that the administration was committed to reaching a settlement with the AAEA and he felt that "it can be done in a reasonable fashion if we have new suggestions :and inputs from both sides." During last night's meeting, Trustees Paul Carrington, Charles Good and Ronald Bishop all disassociated themselves 1 from Board President Cecil Warner's quest earlier this week for open collective bargaining. "I cannot support Warner's position," said Carrington. "I urge the AAEA to stand by its position in rejecting it. The arguments which can be made for secret executive sessions of the board apply with far greater force to the need for closed bargaining sessions." Carrington continued: "Moreover, I must express concern about general intransigency which seems to pervade the present bargaining relation. Third party services are again needed; it does not appear that the board can improve its latest offer of $620,000 without additional, unacceptable program cuts." "The public may need to begin considering the possibility of an additional mili of taxation in order to keep the schools open. Primarily for the reason that our I state aid has been cut even more drastically than we expected last September, there is not enough money in the budget I to give the teachers an appropriate raise I without a substantial layoff of personnel I to whom the district is committed," said Carrington. Trustee Good said that opening the I sessions to the public would only serve as a more divisive tactic. He also said that the schools now face a 20 per cent cut in state aid next year so borrowing money for this year's budget should be considered since it may be inevitable in the future. Supporting the open sessions in comments during the meeting were Trustees Ralph Bolhouse and Duáñe Renken. According to Bolhouse, "The divisiveness of open negotiations is a hypocritical observation - public statements must be substantiated - they must be true and honest, while those in closed session do not have to be." Representing the AAEA, Anne Enderby said it was obvious that the budget was built around priorities that obviously did not include teachers. The only solution to a settlement, she said, would be to budget Ann Arbor District allocations from the Washtenaw County special education tax which is an anticipated income for next year. Board President Warner responded that this would give the schools less money to spend in the future and indicated that the board must find a way to edúcate students in the, future with fewer teachers.