SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES NEW TEACHERS CONTRACT

Eureka! That pretty much describes the mood among those in the know at last night’s school board meeting. Reporter David Haldane was there and explains…
To the casual observer, it looked completely routine; without a word of discussion, the Morongo Unified School District Board of Education last night unanimously approved an across-the-board .5 percent pay raise for district teachers.
In fact, it was a breakthrough; the same process last year spurred more than a year of rancorous debate with the Morongo Teacher’s Association whose members spent that long working without a contract.
Board president Hilary Slotta attributed this year’s quiet efficiency to an outbreak of good will. “We just decided to come together and sit down and really talk. I just think it was a cooperative attitude on all sides that made the difference.”
The new contract – approved last week by the union’s full membership – also puts caps on classroom size and details various extra duties required of teachers.
“We are so thrilled that we are starting with such a positive for all of our employees.”