Hello again, teachers!

Allow me to correct my previous posting, which was made partly (and inadvertantly) in resonse to the discussion from last year. Your wage offer this year is not "dismal." It's bad, but not dismal, and possibly the best you'll get without a massive fightback campaign up to and including a strike, with solid support of other unions, students, etc. That doesn't look like it's anywhere on the agenda, so, "so be it."

The bargaining team says: "Our most significant intervention [in negotiations] facilitated the reduction of staff through attrition – no layoffs." But the News reports that the Board will seek the remaining reduction in force, about 40 positions, elsewhere. You avoided layoffs, and that's excellent. But there has not been a statement condemning layoffs in general. I'm hoping to see some expressions of solidarity from the MEA.

Layoffs are, I believe, unacceptable. Their funding dilemma is not our problem, *if it means lowering quality of education.* I feel that the unions (MEA, TEAMSTERS) need to be firm on this point. NO LAYOFFS, period. Not for teachers OR bus drivers, custodians, etc.

Thank you all.