Corrections to Today’s Article: As we’ve seen in the past, it’s tricky for anyone to get their heads around the technical points of teachers’ contracts and alternative pay systems. The Star Tribune article in today’s North Metro Section (you can read it here: http://www.startribune.com/local/north/117766388.html) has a couple of errors.
The article states that it takes a 75% majority for any changes in our contract. That isn’t exactly right – the 75% threshold only applies to a contract re-opener for an alternative pay system. Also, the article states that the cost of the local levy for Q-Comp would have been $3 million, when it would have been $3.5 million.
Q-Comp garnered 58.8% of those voting, but when you consider that 72.4% of our membership voted, that translates to 42.6% of the entire membership actually casting yes votes. One of the reasons we have super majority requirement was so we would get closer to a true majority when you factor in those who don’t vote. Also, we know that initiatives work best with wide buy-in.
Thank You for Voting: People have been asking me what I think of the results. There were genuinely good reasons for voting either way. I believe the more voice teachers have in the decisions that affect our day to day work, the better those decisions will be. I appreciated the level of discussion we’ve had over the past months. People truly worked to figure out what would be the best choice for our profession, our community and our students.
Not everyone is comfortable with us having that kind of voice. You may see some unfair talk about our vote in the media or from politicians. We at AHEM believe that you made your decision for good reasons and will proudly stand behind it.
I hope you have a restful spring break and thank you for casting the vote that was right for you.
