Teachers in the Mat-Su have been working without a contract for over eighteen months. Late last month, the Mat-Su School District Superintendent, bypassed the usual channels for negotiating a contract with Mat-Su teachers. He wrote with teachers directly, instead of speaking with their Union representatives. He also placed op-ed articles in local newspapers, declaring the district’s best, and last, offer to be “fair”. This week, the Mat-Su Educator’s Association is taking a strike vote from its members in response.
Many teachers spoke out at the School Board meeting Wednesday. They spoke of feeling unappreciated and undervalued. Some brought up the fact that teachers’ salaries in the Mat-Su Borough rank last, compared to the other five large school districts.
“No other profession is expected to have a decrease, in pay, each consecutive year. What we are asking for is for the School Board Bargaining Team to return to the table, continue to bargain in good faith. Show the Valley you will not ignore the process and care about the future of our children and their education.”
Other teachers expressed frustration with the process.
“Why have negotiations turned into us vs. them? Teachers vs. district? We should all be on the same team, working together. We should all just be doing what’s best for kids.”
A few who spoke at the meeting, shared concern over the uncertainty of the fiscal future for Alaska schools, and the possibility of teacher layoffs if the teachers’ contracts are too generous. School enrollment is down in the Brough, mostly due to the pandemic. Almost 1,500 children have turned to homeschooling and about 500 of those have gone outside the Mat-Su School system, taking their funding with them. And the State of Alaska has hinted that overall school funding will, most likely be flat, or possibly even decrease in coming years.
But Alumni of Mat-Su Schools and local community members overwhelmingly supported the teachers.
”The fact that the teachers have been without a contract for eighteen months is entirely unacceptable. Certainly, as a business owner, I can understand the financial constraints, however, a lack of willingness to pay to keep good employees always costs more money in the long run.“
More individuals were in the queue to be heard on Wednesday, but the School Board ended the comment session, due to time constraints. They went into Executive Session to discuss the matter further. The results of MSEA strike vote will be counted and certified by the Anchorage League of Women Voters in the next few days.
