Extra

To Red Clay Parents and/or Guardians:

In recent weeks, many parents have let the district know that you want contract negotiations settled with the Red Clay Education Association, so we and all focus our full attention on the important business of educating children. We heard you.

This letter is to let you know that the district made significant adjustments in our offer in hopes of settling on a contract. On August 26, we put a three-year plan on the table that gives teachers a 6 percent salary increase in the first year and reopens the issues of salary and teacher evaluations for the 2nd and 3rd years.

You may already know that the district is attempting to make a portion of teachers' evaluations tied to student performance. It's important to us, but we offered to put it aside for one year and run a pilot program to gather data on how such a plan would be part of a teacher's evaluation. All we asked for was a "reopener" on this issue after we had run the pilot program.

Unfortunately, our good faith attempt in settling the contract was rebuffed. On September 12, the Red Clay Education Association responded to our offer. The counter-proposal asks for a 26 percent salary increase over the next three years, up to 60 percent increase in health care benefits, an 11 percent increase in other benefits and a longevity increase as much as $1250. The RCEA proposal refused to address evaluations at all.

In sum, our hopes for an immediate compromise have been rejected by an RCEA response that has set the scene for a lengthy dispute. We've listened to your messages about a settlement. Let's hope the RCEA can do the same.