Following is a letter that was read by Michael Massmann, Hutchinson School Board member, at the first meeting between Education Hutchinson (ISD 423 Teacher’s Union), and the School Board Negotiating Team beginning this round of negotiations April 3 at Hutchinson Middle School.
Good afternoon and thank you all for taking the time to meet today, officially beginning the next round of negotiations with the district’s largest staff group.
Historically, negotiations in our district have been difficult, lengthy, and contentious. This time around we are hopeful to move away from “two sides of the table,” and towards, “one team in a room,” in which we work together to develop a comprehensive compensation and benefits package for our truly amazing staff, while also remaining conscious of our fiscal responsibility to the taxpayers in our supportive community who ultimately pay the bills.
Although disagreements may arise, I ask that we remember what it is that brings all parties in this room together: our students.
Thank you to the representatives of Education Hutchinson for your commitment and service to the district, and for taking on the challenging task of being a few voices representing the many constituents that you have.
Thank you to Sara Pollmann and Tiffany Barnard who will be working with me, as well as the rest of the school board for their commitment and service to the district, whose task is much the same; being a few voices representative of the many, many, constituents that you have.
Thank you to Dan Diette, our superintendent, Becky Boll, our director of Business and Finance, and Michael Scott, our director of teaching and learning. Although these three will be caucusing with members of the School Board, it is important to point out that they are not in an adversarial role to Education Hutchinson. They are an invaluable third party supporting the “one team in a room” that we are all a part of. Their wealth of knowledge and expertise will be critical to helping both the School Board and Education Hutchinson understand the legalities, policy intricacies, and the overall impacts that decisions made during negotiations will have on our students, staff, administrators, and our community as a whole. The weight of decisions made between both parties does not rest on the shoulders of these three, please remember that.
Next, a reminder that these are open meetings and public attendance is encouraged. For members of the public who cannot attend, minutes will be made public after each meeting providing a recap of both language and financial proposals that are to be negotiated or have been tentatively agreed upon.
A staff update will be sent out after each meeting, authored by Dan Diette and a representative from Education Hutchinson, fulfilling Dan’s commitment to transparency and open communication across the district at every level.
Lastly, and in the spirit of complete transparency, it is the goal of this School Board to reach a tentative agreement with Education Hutchinson prior to the first staff work day of school year 2024. We owe that to our staff, students and our community. Long past should be the era of drawn-out negotiations with months going by without progress and resolution. We believe this is the right thing to do and hope that good faith efforts can be made by the ‘one team in this room’ to take mutually reasonable steps to make this happen. Let’s get to work.
