Geneva teachers ratify 5-year contract

GENEVA – The Geneva teachers union ratified a five-year contract Monday, ending the District 304's first-ever strike and sending its 5,800 children back to school Dec. 10.

At a news conference in front of Geneva High School, Geneva Education Association President Kevin Gannon said the contract is a true compromise, with neither side getting everything it wanted.

“It will include both the traditional step-and-lane salary schedule that compensates teachers based on education and experience and also includes the boards’ hybrid salary schedule,” Gannon said.

The main sticking point in contract talks was the school board offering a different salary model that teachers said would hurt younger teachers’ future earnings and did not fairly compensate for advanced degrees.

“Teachers with advanced degrees will now be compensated for those degrees,” Gannon said. “This contract will truly allow us to both attract new and talented educators and retain our experienced, veteran teachers.”

Gannon said contract has three years of the school board's model and two years of the GEA's step-and-lane salary schedule.

“Nobody goes home happy about everything,” Gannon said. “And everybody got something. I think the good news for the community is that it’s good for schools, its good for kids and I think it will do a nice job of attracting and retaining good teachers to the district.”

Gannon said as per the agreement, students and teachers will have to make up one of the five days the teachers were on strike.

Also speaking at the news conference was Western Avenue School first grade teacher Megan Wassell, who said she was glad to be able to go back to her classroom.

“This deal today has a large impact on me,” Wassell said. “I earned my masters’ degree in reading at the end of this last summer, and I was prepared to wait until the 2020-21 school year to earn compensation for that degree. It’s a step in the right direction that … I will start earning compensation for the learning that I’m already using in my classroom immediately.”

Teachers noted overwhelming support from parents, students and community members who joined them on the picket line, marched with them, brought food and spread their message on social media.

Among them was parent Alicia Saxton, who started a Parents for GEA Facebook, which now has more than 2,000 people who like and follow the page.

“We’ve been able to reach many more people than that throughout postings,” Saxton said.“I knew I had to keep supporting our teachers throughout this ordeal. These are my neighbors, my friends, and most importantly, they are helping shape my kids’ lives. They are extremely important to me and our community.”

Saxon said she is a former teacher.

“I have just always felt strongly for teachers’ rights and the fair treatment of teachers. Just seeing the way the town has rallied around our teachers and also the … impact that had on our teachers,” Saxon said.

Saxon said as she has two daughters, Lila, in second grade and Elena in kindergarten, both at Heartland Elementary School, so she will be involved in the district’s schools for years.

Saxon announced at the news conference that she would run for school board next spring.

“I just feel like the board needs a small refresh,” Saxon said. “I just want to be able to create a nice working relationship between the teachers and the board of education and hopefully continue our tradition of excellence here.”

In a statement, district officials announced that the school board will schedule a meeting later this week to vote on the agreement.