East Orange teachers, principals unions left without contracts as layoffs loom
The East Orange Board of Education says the teacher's union recently rejected a contract that both sides had tentatively agreed on.
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More than 70 East Orange school staff members will be laid off later this month due to a massive budget shortfall.
At the same time, negotiations have stalled between the district and its teachers and principals unions.
“The last several months, we've had a lot of upheaval in the district,” said Dr. Thelma Ramsey Bryant, the principal at Costley Middle School.
“I characterize it as the superintendent and the Board of Education trying to give our members scraps from the table,” said David Johnson, the field representative for the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association.
The East Orange Board of Education says the teacher's union recently rejected a contract that both sides had tentatively agreed on. The opposite is the case for the principals union. They say when it was their turn to come to the table, the board backed out on them.
The uncertainty extends into the classroom. The budget-induced layoffs are 10 days away, and the administration still doesn’t know what comes next.
“One of my colleagues is losing six people, and that's her whole school leadership team,” said Ramsey Bryant. “Those staff members that are key to helping those students in crisis won't be there. So then, who does it fall on?”
Union members say those questions have led to a breakdown at the negotiating table. It’s been four years since the principals union has had a contract and three years for the teachers.
"I feel like a lot of things are being said, and then changed at the last minute,” said Brian Heaphy, the principal at Bowser Elementary School.
In a statement, the Board of Education says it's unsure why the teachers union rejected this deal. The president of the East Orange Education Association wrote that teachers’ voices must be respected with a contract that attracts and retains the best staff possible.
School officials have warned that a state takeover looms if things don’t improve. Some administrators believe everything should be on the table.
“Help us understand - both sides, perhaps - where funds are and what funds are available, what the real picture is,” said Heaphy.
