Watertown teachers' contract on hold, concern for drop in staff
By Laura Paine/staff writer
Wicked Local WatertownPosted Dec 15, 2010 @ 01:26 PMLast update Dec 15, 2010 @ 02:26 PMWATERTOWN — The Watertown teacher’s union and members of the School Committeehave different ideas about what is holding up the contract negotiations that have been hotlydebated since August.At the Dec. 6 School Committee, Chairman Tony Paolillo took time out of the meeting toaddress the ongoing negotiations with the Watertown Educators Association. According toPaolillo, the union has been holding meetings with teachers and parents to keep them abreastof the situation, but he felt that not all of the facts were being shared.“We take our obligations very seriously namely to educate the children of Watertown in thebest way possible while managing the expenditures of the public funds responsibly,” he saidon Monday. “We all wish we were in less severe economic circumstances, but we must facethe existing reality. With so many in our community, that have lost their jobs and have beenunable to find work, we are grateful that we have essentially been able to maintain the levelof services without significant detriment to educational services within Watertown schools.”Debra King, president of the WEA, said that the teachers are hopeful that an agreementwill be made soon.“At this time, however, teachers are very concerned about the superintendent's managementof the school department's $33 million budget,” she said. “We are also quite concerned aboutthe management of our schools and the potential impact of administrative policies onteaching and learning.”Paolillo recognized that there have been layoffs, but he said they were nowhere near whatother communities have been facing.When the fiscal 2011 budget was approved in June, the school district received $33.5million, only a 2 percent increase from fiscal 2010 and $500,000 short of maintaining levelservices.Paolillo said it is the committee’s goal to maintain as many of the available services as thefinances will allow. After receiving an additional $265,000 from one-time infusion of federalfunding, they were able to restore and support teaching positions, which used $140,000 of thefunding.“The remaining $125,000 will go towards the expected loss of that $700,000 of grantmoney,” Paolillo said. “That starts us off in a budget deficit for fiscal 2012. That is if thatadditional money is not used up this year for unpredictable significant expenditures. Theseare just few of the many uncertainties in our present and future economic future.”Paolillo did not hesitate to remind people on Monday that more than half of the teachers inWatertown have received a wage increase under the existing compensation system. In fiscal2011, the scheduled increase has cost the district $385,000 because of the WEA automaticpay raises.According to King, a recent survey of 156 Watertown teachers conducted by the unionshowed that 37 of them were looking employment in other districts citing their main concernsas compensation, work conditions and the general climate.Ora Grodsky, a Capital Street resident with a daughter at Watertown High School, said shehas been blown away by the quality of the education, but is unhappy with what she has heardfrom teachers.“I was really disturbed to hear how demoralized and frustrated they are,” she said to theSchool Committee last Monday night. “I know you’re in the middle of collective bargainingbut it sounded beyond that. Like it came in the context of disrespectand the lack of caring. Asa relatively new parent in the district and having been so thrilled with the services andeducation was really dissatisfied to hear many excellent teachers are considering leaving thedistrict.”
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