Tinton Falls Teachers Question Language Added to Agreement

teacher Joanne Orr told the at its meeting on Thursday that the was so critical, she opted to attend the meeting on her wedding anniversary.

“I’m here because this is so important to us,” she said of the 30 or so teachers packed into a classroom at the for the meeting on July 21.

At issue is language that was added by the board to the memorandum of agreement after it was signed on March 24 by both sides

“You can’t make a deal after we’ve signed off,” said Tinton Falls Education Association President Cherie Ronan of the additional wording that impacts health benefits, teachers’ professional days and compensation of secretaries. “It looks very dishonest.”

Orr, who serves as vice president of the TFEA, said, “adding something is called an amendment.”

“We do not want an amendment,” she said of the approximately 200 members of the education association.

Board attorney Martin Barger, who called public discourse on the confidential matter “inappropriate," discouraged any specific discussion of the contract at the meeting.

While Ronan feels that language could be cleaned up, she also expressed disappointment with the delay in finalizing the deal and gave a detailed timeline of events that have transpired since the March signing.

Council President Peter Karavites said he sees the situation simply: “I think it’s a failure to communicate.”

Karavites said that the negotiators hired to represent both sides needed to meet to finish the process and suggested they do so next week.

“We want to get this done,” he said of the board’s desire to finalize the teachers’ contract.

Ronan also expressed frustration with rumblings from within the association that she had been responsible for some of the delays. “It’s a team effort and I’m not the one in charge,” she said.

Council member Susan Fisher reminded the teachers in the room that board members had come together for a special meeting before school board elections in April to ratify the agreement.

“Can there be some recognition that we’re all on the same side on this?” she asked.