This June, the current teachers’ contract at the Upper Adams School District expires. As both a parent and taxpayer in the district, I am writing to inform the community, pledge my support to the teachers, and state my hopes for a quick and fair resolution to the negotiations.
As a parent, I have seen firsthand how impactful the teachers in our district are to our students. Both of my children have thrived under the quality instruction our faculty provides. I have also witnessed a level of genuine caring that is vital at this stage of their development and learning. Keeping these teachers in our district, and being able to attract new, highly qualified educators, is of the utmost importance to the continued health of both our district and our community. We ask so much of our teachers, both in their time and their personal monetary investment, that we should make every effort to ensure they are adequately and fairly compensated.
I frequently hear the term “fiscal responsibility” used by members of the board. As a taxpayer, I understand the desire not to add a financial burden to our small community. However, we must face the fact that it costs money to run a school with quality teachers who will lead and educate our students as they grow into adults. Let’s not use the guise of financial responsibility to shortchange our dedicated educators.
Once we start to lose quality teachers due to inadequate pay, it will be incredibly difficult to reverse that course. We will lose the excellent teachers we have, along with their years of institutional knowledge and community building, and we will not have the means to attract suitable replacements. This could create a years-long setback that our children cannot afford.
Our teachers have accomplished a great deal for our small school district, and they can accomplish even more if we put both our financial resources and our vocal support behind them. As the current contract term comes to an end, I urge the board to act swiftly and negotiate a fair and competitive contract, one that ensures our district remains healthy and continues moving forward.
Thank you,
Eric Markle
Aspers