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Newton schools to re-open Monday
By adamg on Fri, 02/02/2024 - 9:35pm
Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller announced the School Committee and the Newton Teachers Association reached a tentative deal tonight and that schools will re-open on Monday.
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Comments
Well, there you go
A bunch of adults ended their pissing match over dollars they (both sides) may not have needed if they weren't all a bunch of spending addicts, and a bunch of poor kids get to piss away two weeks of the three nice months a year to be outside that New England gets to sit in a room and have something regurgitated at them that they won't absorb and may never appreciate.
Everyone sucks. At least I broke the cycle and didn't force this sorry garbage-ass excuse for a productive society onto some defenseless embryo.
It's easy to throw one's
It's easy to throw one's hands up and blame everyone.
That was effective collective bargaining for something important, that's what it looks like.
Not much of a win
I'm glad the teachers got something closer to that they wanted (I support teachers!) but I don't think strike are good in net.
Kids lost two weeks of learning -- that isn't insignificant. It was hell for a lot of students and parents. The linger effects will last for a while.
Newton might need to make cuts to things that are also important, possibly within the school department. Towns aren't like corporations. Few employees get rich. They can't just report a lower profit or cut executive pay like Starbucks or UPS.
They can try to raise taxes but that's not quick and not a sure thing. If a P2.5 override fails, saying the townspeople suck doesn't change anything. 50% of townspeople don't have kids and might not care if school quality drops. (They don't care what you think.)
Basically, I don't think you should equate collective bargaining in the local public sector with that of private companies or even federal & state workers.
And I suppose February Break is a one-week “loss of learning?”
The teachers were on strike for 11 days.
To make up for this, February vacation has been cancelled (4 days), the school year extended as if full snow days were used (5 days) and the final Friday in June added (1 day).
The last day is TBD, but my kid in school will get the same number of days he would have otherwise. If you think 2 weeks, at the beginning of a semester, is going to result in a loss of learning, I suggest you go advocate for removing all breaks - especially summer - from school.
It was bad faith collective bargaining by the union
Trying to strong arm the town into giving them more money with an illegal strike. How would you feel if the town fired everyone and made them reapply? That’s a similar tactic.
No Strike Should be Illegal
This is an unjust law as it removes a principal expression of free speech from certain citizens and not others. This law protects the interests of the state only.
All people deserve the right to engage in strikes and collective bargaining. Period. The power to strike is the sole power workers have against the rich and powerful who benefit from their labor.
I’d like to see Newton fire all the striking teachers and face the consequences. We are all stronger together and if contemporary politics are any indication, the state and entrenched powers, are served best we when divided and blaming each other.
This^
I still think the Boston Police should have went on strike after not having a contact for 4 years.
Summary
Teachers are greedy, government is greedy, school sucks, and kids are stupid. Everyone sucks except Will, who has favored the world by not reproducing. At last, a point we can all agree on.
Outsider observations
I can’t fathom what the Mayor and School Committee were thinking. This could have been settled six months ago if they had agreed to anything close to the final settlement, possibly for less.
The Mayor and SC, need to spend some effort fence mending and attempt to fish their reputations out of the cess pool.
I’m impressed by how effective the union’s tactics were, not to endorse illegal strikes.
The Mayor and SC caved. How much of a factor was the Governor’s intervention?
Thank GOD there are no little yous running around.
.
What is the deal?
What is the deal?
Details
I think Fig City News has the most comprehensive coverage of the deal and the press conferences that followed:
https://figcitynews.com/2024/02/nps-and-nta-reach-agreement-ending-11-da...
Props to Newton
How is it Newton has two local news outlets plus a dedicated Globe reporter and so many other nearby towns have nothing at all for local news?
Whatever Newton is doing, I want in. I'd gladly pay $100+/yr for a local paper.
There is always, . . . .
UHUB!
Local papers
I think both local papers (Fig City News and Newton Beacon) were started by community members after Gannet bought out and dismantled the Newton Tab. Both are essentially startup nonprofits and I suspect need additional subscribers to last long term. One of them did a great actual printed, free paper for the local election in November that was really helpful. I hope they both make it long term, and hope that other communities do the same thing. There is an article in the Globe today about a local Ipswich nonprofit newspaper - that is print! https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/02/02/metro/ipwich-local-news-nonprofit...
Also, UHub is essential for timely, important, regional news!! Also for interesting things you never read about elsewhere! Thank you Adam!!!
Correct
As @Snoofy wrote, both are non-profits started by community members. Fig City started as a volunteer effort (can't remember if they've added any paid staff). Both are free and depend heavily on donations.
It's time to get rid of
It's time to get rid of summer school vacation.
The school schedule should reflect society and summer vacation has outlived its purpose. It hurts students as they lose ground over the summer. It hurts families who scramble for child care. It attracts people to the teaching profession who are in it for the wrong reasons.
Make teaching M - F 9 - 5 three weeks vacation a year. Then teachers might be worth 93k+