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Watertown teachers' contract on hold, concern for drop in staff

By Laura Paine/staff writer


Wicked Local Watertown
Posted Dec 15, 2010 @ 01:26 PM
Last update Dec 15, 2010 @ 02:26 PM

WATERTOWN — The Watertown teacher’s union and members of the School Committee
have different ideas about what is holding up the contract negotiations that have been hotly
debated since August.
At the Dec. 6 School Committee, Chairman Tony Paolillo took time out of the meeting to
address the ongoing negotiations with the Watertown Educators Association. According to
Paolillo, the union has been holding meetings with teachers and parents to keep them abreast
of the situation, but he felt that not all of the facts were being shared.
“We take our obligations very seriously namely to educate the children of Watertown in the
best way possible while managing the expenditures of the public funds responsibly,” he said
on Monday. “We all wish we were in less severe economic circumstances, but we must face
the existing reality. With so many in our community, that have lost their jobs and have been
unable to find work, we are grateful that we have essentially been able to maintain the level
of services without significant detriment to educational services within Watertown schools.”
Debra King, president of the WEA, said that the teachers are hopeful that an agreement
will be made soon.
“At this time, however, teachers are very concerned about the superintendent's management
of the school department's $33 million budget,” she said. “We are also quite concerned about
the management of our schools and the potential impact of administrative policies on
teaching and learning.”
Paolillo recognized that there have been layoffs, but he said they were nowhere near what
other communities have been facing.
When the fiscal 2011 budget was approved in June, the school district received $33.5
million, only a 2 percent increase from fiscal 2010 and $500,000 short of maintaining level
services.
Paolillo said it is the committee’s goal to maintain as many of the available services as the
finances will allow. After receiving an additional $265,000 from one-time infusion of federal
funding, they were able to restore and support teaching positions, which used $140,000 of the
funding.
“The remaining $125,000 will go towards the expected loss of that $700,000 of grant
money,” Paolillo said. “That starts us off in a budget deficit for fiscal 2012. That is if that
additional money is not used up this year for unpredictable significant expenditures. These
are just few of the many uncertainties in our present and future economic future.”
Paolillo did not hesitate to remind people on Monday that more than half of the teachers in
Watertown have received a wage increase under the existing compensation system. In fiscal
2011, the scheduled increase has cost the district $385,000 because of the WEA automatic
pay raises.
According to King, a recent survey of 156 Watertown teachers conducted by the union
showed that 37 of them were looking employment in other districts citing their main concerns
as compensation, work conditions and the general climate.
Ora Grodsky, a Capital Street resident with a daughter at Watertown High School, said she
has been blown away by the quality of the education, but is unhappy with what she has heard
from teachers.
“I was really disturbed to hear how demoralized and frustrated they are,” she said to the
School Committee last Monday night. “I know you’re in the middle of collective bargaining
but it sounded beyond that. Like it came in the context of disrespectand the lack of caring. As
a relatively new parent in the district and having been so thrilled with the services and
education was really dissatisfied to hear many excellent teachers are considering leaving the
district.”
King also said that in the survey, 125 union members said they knew someone who had left
the Watertown school district within the last three years.
“I have worked in this system for 23 years and I don't remember this kind of turnover,”
King said. “It worries me. It's not healthy for a district to have such a high turnover rate. This
lack of continuity doesn't help foster a deeper connection between the teacher and students.
This is what our contract seeks to redress.”
Paolillo said the School Committee’s current circumstances merely reflect the economic
challenges they are facing for the next few years and the need to maintain services—and
teaching positions—for the benefit of the students in the classrooms.
“We respect the negotiating process, we have bargained fairly with the union and we
respect and appreciate our dedicated teaching staff,” Paolillo said. “What better way to show
our appreciation and respect than trying not to cut teaching positions and ensure that
classrooms have necessary resources to support teaching and learning.”

Laura Paine can be reached at lpaine@cnc.com.


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