Tempers Flare As Teachers and Board Discuss Back-to-School Nights

Last night’s packed Colts Neck Board of Education meeting had emotions flowing as teachers attempted to enlighten the board of their reasons for not attending this years Back-to-School Night events.

Parents, teachers and administrators filled the room, seemingly all wanting one thing: the rescheduling of Back-to-School Night.

A sea of red shirts dominated attendance, with association, as the Colts Neck Township Education Association spilled from floor seats to the hallway.

Last week, the board canceled the events. In a press release on the board’s website, Interim Superintendent John Paredes said the teachers were informed by their association not to attend the events while in the middle of contract negotiations.

Board President Nancy Locascio said, “Remember: we canceled Back-to-School Nights because no teachers were willing to come.”An audience member replied to Locascio, yelling that the teachers were not willing to attend “under constraints.”

Teachers passionately told the board that the decision had nothing to do with their contracts, but instead a perceived lack of respect from the board.

Marianne Quigley, CNTEA negotiations chair, said “This is not a negotiations issue at all.”

Pat Gatti, a retired teacher who taught in the district for over 40 years, said he knows teachers wanted to attend Back-to-School night.

“This is the first time that teachers have ever had any contention about back-to-school night,” he said. “If anything, this is an indication of how the relationship has degraded.”

Board president Nancy Locascio said the cancellation stemmed from a disagreement on the start time of the event. Locascio said teachers wanted to begin at 6 p.m. rather than 7 p.m., and the board compromised with a 6:30 p.m. start time.

But teachers said no such agreement was made when association members and board members met. Members are confused as to how the board thinks it had made an agreement about the events at all.

“Shame on me, because I felt at the end of that meeting, we were going nowhere,” said Karen Londono, CNTEA vice president.The notion of disrespect took board members by surprise.“

I would love to get together and find out where that animosity came from,” said board member Frank Garber.

Pat Reynolds, a teacher for 35 years in the district, said she did not appreciate the board putting out rumors that the teachers refused to attend Back-to-School night due to contract negotiations.

“No matter how flat a pancake is, it has two sides,” she said. “One side has the power to put out perspective, we don’t have those resources.”

Many teachers took the time to assure parents that they could meet their teachers, and many teachers are making an effort to schedule their own time with parents.

But parents remain confused, as the board and teachers did not reach an agreement last night and plans to reschedule the event were not discussed in detail.

Resident Casey Lahey said, “It is really hard to move forward unless you fix those feelings...Treat our teachers tenderly.

”The teachers contract ended June 30, and although they are still working from that contract, they are working from frozen salaries as negotiations continue.

The district and the teachers are at impasse, meaning the situation is at a deadlock, and the next step is to meet with a state mediator and begin the fact finding process.

Christine Gold, chairperson of negotiations for the board, said the process could stretch for as long as a year to two years if an agreement is not made.

Debbie Wuethrich said the decision to not attend Back-to-School Night was not taken lightly amongst teachers, and for years they have looked forward to every chance to meet parents.

“This is because of the lack of respect shown to teachers over the last few years,” she said. “This is not all because of a half an hour.”