The goal here is that we're going to get out of deficit, as the law requires. This has the support staff doing their part. |
The primary concern was certainly are we going to keep Norrie open. We don't want to spend money to improve a building just to turn around and close it before the ink dries on the check. |
There is no pay increase between now and June 30, 2007. |
There were four people who are eligible to retire by '07 but want to wait until '08. We've agreed on a reduced incentive. They will incur a small financial penalty from the state retirement system and a slightly reduced annuity. |
Those changes basically extend the agreement to the community schools teachers, who are in a separate union, and to some teachers who are eligible to retire. |
We added free lunch last year. We hope to expand that next summer by promoting it more. It doesn't have to be summer school kids (who attend). |
We all remember the tortoise and the hare. The tortoise won the race, but the hare didn't keep the same schedule. |
We have all the teachers of each grade in the same building and usually on the same floor. It just makes for a more collaborative environment. |
We have some very talented people, and as we have people taking early retirements we're going to have some young people here. I think that's going to energize everybody. |
We talk about cuts here and cuts there but there's really not much that was available to kids three years ago that's not available now. |
We talked about concerns that they are hearing from their people and friends and neighbors. |
We're still using Windows 98 here. We just need some equipment. |