Lawrence teachers lose bid to teach less

Arbitrator can’t find ‘the beef’ in union grievance

By Michael Orbach

Issue of August 14, 2009 / 24 Av 5769

An arbitrator has upheld the Lawrence School District’s decision to divide the seven-hour school day into eight periods, instead of nine. The Lawrence Teachers’ Association claimed a breach of contract because its members must now teach an additional nine minutes in each period. Each teacher now teaches a total of five periods of 51 minutes each, instead of just 42 minutes under the old arrangement.

The change enables students to spend 20 percent more time with their teachers, who earn an average of $95,000 annually, but the LTA claimed a breach of contract worth close to $1 million dollars — based on the $85 hour rate for teacher overtime in Lawrence.

“It is rather difficult to understand exactly what the beef is,” explained Arbitrator Jack Tillem in his decision. “Yes, the teachers complain that the additional 9 minutes per period has created a heavy burden on them by requiring them to do more work at home preparing lessons and marking papers. Yet, in all candor I thought that teachers always had to do work at home.”

Under the new schedule security employees replace teachers as hall monitors, the lunch period is increased and non-teaching time for teachers is increased as well.

“There is nothing whimsical or shooting from the hip about the change. It makes a lot of sense,” Tillem wrote.

In explaining the change, School Superintendent John Fitzsimons mentioned the shifts occurring in the district, from an increase in poverty, judged by the 49% of the school population now on free and reduced lunches, and a new racial composition with 57-58% of the school district being Black and Hispanic and white students making up the minority.

“We were really anxious to see if we could take a look at what we were doing programmatically, and what we have some control over,” wrote Fitzsimons. “We don’t have control over the racial composition. We don’t have control over the level of poverty. We don’t have control over the fact that many [students] are recent immigrants. What we do have control over is how we distribute time.”

Dr. David Sussman, a fifteen-year veteran of the school board, considered the decision a victory.

“This is a real win for the children and the taxpayers of the district. It vindicates the vision of our superintendent who believed this was within the confines of the contract and it would help the children. It’s a real vindication.”

Sussman also noted that Lawrence public school teachers are among the highest-paid in the county, with the average salary at 95,000 per year, not including medical, dental, and pension.

“If one was to put all those factors in, our average compensation package is probably worth another twenty-five thousand dollars above that,” he said. “Our compensation reflects our understanding of how valuable the job [the teachers] do.”

Members of the LTA could not be reached for comment.