Stirring The Pot?
From this week's Five Town Jewish Times:
This information was apparently obtained by 5TJT editor Larry Gordon from "a memo circulated among District #15 teachers (a copy of which was obtained by the Five Towns Jewish Times)".
The teachers' claim they are protesting in front of the yeshiva because, as the memo explains, it is a "local private school where our PIPPS (Personnel in Private and Parochial Schools) teach". But one has to wonder whether the planned protest that will go on for two hours in the middle of a regular school day is going to do anything but stir the pot of resentment, especially with all the bad blood that has been flowing between the Orthodox community and the Lawrence Teachers' Association. The teachers run the risk of the HAFTR students feeling that there is something accusatory in the picketing - as if a message is being sent that the yeshivas are responsible for the lack of a teachers' contract. Which is pretty close to the false message the LTA has been sending up until now - that the Orthodox community is the root of all the district's budget troubles.
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To express their protest at the lack of a new contract with District #15, Lawrence teachers planned a series of demonstrations outside a number of schools and at least one yeshiva over the next several weeks.
This information was apparently obtained by 5TJT editor Larry Gordon from "a memo circulated among District #15 teachers (a copy of which was obtained by the Five Towns Jewish Times)".
The teachers' claim they are protesting in front of the yeshiva because, as the memo explains, it is a "local private school where our PIPPS (Personnel in Private and Parochial Schools) teach". But one has to wonder whether the planned protest that will go on for two hours in the middle of a regular school day is going to do anything but stir the pot of resentment, especially with all the bad blood that has been flowing between the Orthodox community and the Lawrence Teachers' Association. The teachers run the risk of the HAFTR students feeling that there is something accusatory in the picketing - as if a message is being sent that the yeshivas are responsible for the lack of a teachers' contract. Which is pretty close to the false message the LTA has been sending up until now - that the Orthodox community is the root of all the district's budget troubles.
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posted by orthomom at 4:47 PM
6 Comments:
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sorry -- too many spelling errors in my first post -- i hit publish too fast!
anyway, i don't know if you were in the 5T during haftr high school's infancy but there was quite a controversy and some serious mudslinging over the acquisition of the high school's current building. i was pre-high school at the time so i don't really remember the details and won't get into them. i guess now that halb high school in hewlett harbour (love that pretentious britishism?) is a done deal, another local jewish day school needs to be involved in (dragged into?) yet another mess to keep things interesting.
I think your point of increased resentment would be true if the LTA only planned on protesting in front of Private schools. If they are going to do this in front of public schools also that should not be the case. After all, it is pretty clear that an overwhelming majority of the public school parents support the district.
I guess you're right, but I suppose they have the right to do so. I'm also not sure whether or not it will make any yes budget votes into no budget votes, but it certainly doesn't help community relations.
As a public school parent I don't see the benefit of the picketing no matter they decide to do it.
The LTA knows they're in for some rough roads ahead, but their leader Steve Clements is too imature to handle matters appropriately. The LTA was accustomed to having strong community support for its contracts, but 5 years ago, the community backed the school board for the first time. Now, the board faces even greater pressure to keep costs down and avoid the rediculous incentives that Keleher and the bumbling administration gave to put our district on the verge of bankruptcy.
Face it, public school enrollment is declining. And now the LTA will lose more members year after year. keep up the good work Mr. Clements. You're helping close another elementary school in the next 2 years.
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