Where does the money go?

Frontiersman editorial board

Under the guise of communication problems, two education-related unions have now issued votes of no confidence in the leadership of Superintendent Pat Chesbro. While it's difficult to believe the feelings behind the allegations are unfounded, it's also difficult to ignore the timing of the votes.

Barbara Morris, Mat-Su Education Association president, made no bones about the group's timing -- they wanted the vote before the May 1 school board meeting, at which the terms of Chesbro's contract would be discussed. She also said the decision by the group's executive board to vote was tied to progress -- or the lack thereof -- at the contract bargaining table. They didn't feel Chesbro had what it takes to close a contract.

Chesbro is not the sole contract negotiator -- and MSEA recognized this by including Paula Harrison, the district's director of human resources and labor relations, in their no-confidence vote. But by doing so, the group allows what could be genuine concern over the superintendent's performance to become skewed to appear as just another bargaining tactic. What are they really after? And have they stopped to consider the results?

Teachers deserve equitable pay, good benefits, proper working conditions and rewards for good performance. But if, despite assembly members' comments to the contrary, the tiff has ramifications on the assembly's approval of full funding of the budget, the teachers will still be guaranteed their pay by contract and the shortfall will be felt directly by students -- and that's a disservice that will be felt for many years to come.

Contract negotiations should be kept at the bargaining table, and not spread outward where it causes rifts felt throughout the community. If the concerns are legitimate, they would be looked at with much more clarity of purpose if they were not questionably tied to the other issues at hand.