September 20, 2016
Dear members of the Ridgewood community:
We are pleased to announce that on Tuesday, September 13, the negotiating committees for the Ridgewood Board of Education and the Ridgewood Education Association (REA) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for a three-year contract for the period July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2018.
This MOA lists the new contract terms, which will be made public once the contract is ratified by the teachers and voted on by the Board at a regular public meeting. The contract becomes effective once the Board approves it.
During this prolonged negotiation, many community members, parents, and students shared their ideas and perspectives with us. While opinions varied, the overriding messages were consistent. Our community cares deeply about the quality of our schools. The educational programs and extracurricular activities offered to our students are highly valued as are our teachers, and the contract should be fair and balanced.
As we complete the tasks needed to finalize the contract, we ask for your continued patience and understanding. The good news is that the disruption caused by the unsettled contract is behind us and we can once again focus our attention on what unites us as a community, the education of our children and our excellent schools.
Ridgewood Board of Education
Sheila Brogan, President
Vince Loncto, Vice President
Christina Krauss
Jim Morgan
Jennie Smith Wilson
Does anyone know any of the terms ?
Hopefully the terms include a provision that if and when this contract reaches it’s end without being replaced by a new contract, there are no automatic pay raises for the teachers going forward. The teachers were in no big rush to sign a new contract. They really took it to ridgewood residents and district parents, mostly by way of the students who suffered teacher misbehavior most directly.
I hope the BOE did not cave to their demands. They were absolutely shameful. I have lost all respect for them.
What’s the delay…?
Sign the darned thing.
The classroom aides haven’t received a raise in 3 years…