Signs that support the North Shore Education Association teachers in the bid for a new contract have proliferated throughout the community. (Photo by Gregory Harutunian/for Chronicle Media)

The tug of war over a new contract between North Shore School District 112 and the North Shore Education Association has led to a joint Oct. 3 session with a mediator, and optimism that any remaining differences can be ironed out.

Already, the association has authorized its bargaining team members to call for a strike, during a Sept. 19 meeting with a 373-3 vote, should an accord not be reached. The district has yet to be served with a formal notice of intent.

At issue in the negotiations is the teachers’ non-classroom time structure being overseen by district administrators. An equally important concern is the increase in wages during the contract’s final two years coupled with the scale for continuing education platforms.

“We have made our offer and there are still several points of negotiation to be resolved,” said Nicholas Glenn, NSSD 112’s communications officer. “The next meeting is Oct. 3, and the mediator will be present at that session. The school district is aware of the vote to authorize a strike by the teacher’s association, however we have yet to be served with an official intent.

“This is all part of a process, where a specified number of days must expire, prior to the next step being initiated,” he said.

The NSEA, with almost 400 members in the Highland Park elementary and middle schools, has been operating under the guidelines of a contract, which expired Aug. 14. The school district concurred that the expired collective bargaining agreement, negotiated in 2014, is forming the present salary payment and health insurance benefits.

In a Sept. 17 statement, the district said, “As the district has previously shared, after several negotiation sessions between March and July 2019, the Board (of Education) and the NSEA sought the assistance of a federal mediator. After four sessions with the federal mediator, these are the main issues under negotiation: Collaborative Planning Time For K-5 Teachers (and) Professional Growth Providers. Although District 112 has seen improvement in student achievement, our student performance still lags behind other North Shore districts.

It continued, “Currently, K-5 teachers have 300 minutes per week for preparation/planning time, of which 30 minutes per week may be directed by the administration and 30 minutes for team preparation. The district proposes that teachers spend at least 90 and up to 120 minutes per week for collaborative team planning, which would include coordinated review of student data and targeting instruction.”

Further, the district is seeking any continuing education and tuition reimbursement policies to be limited to receiving coursework at only “accredited and recognized colleges or universities, such as those determined by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) or the National Council for Accreditation for Teacher Education (NCATE).”

“We have not tendered a final best offer because we have not declared impasse, and that is when both sides would give a final best offer,” said NSEA President Sheri Henkel. “We still have another negotiation session scheduled for Oct. 3, so we are still hoping that we can come to an agreement. One of our biggest concerns is the demand to control teachers’ individual plan time.

“We are professionals and we know how to use this time to create the best learning environment and ensure the success of our students. Teachers are still being paid under the old guidelines, we have been posting (on social media) that we are working without a contract. We have not stated that we are working for free … we are working under the terms of the expired contract, meaning not salary increases for teachers despite our administration having received their raises, some in excess of 10 percent.”

The disparity in the salary schedule is that the NSEA is pursuing a straight 5.25 percent for the contract, from 2019-20 through 2023-24, a compounded five-year increase of 29.2 percent, along with off-schedule increases of 3.75 percent for bachelor’s and master’s 44 level courses and 4.0 percent for masters 45. The district has proposed 4.25 percent for the 2019-20 school year, 4.0 percent for the next two years, and increases tied to the consumer price index plus 0.25 percent for the remaining two years.

The district’s offer for the compounded five-year increase is a range from 17.3 to 21.4 percent, while the off schedule for BA/MA 44 is 2.5 percent and master’s 45 at 2.75 percent respectively.

“We have had the AFR (Annual Financial Reports) reviewed by IEA (Illinois Education Association) and NSEA representatives, and we are aware of the money that is in our reserves,” said Henkel. “Our district has been saving money for years … Superintendent Mike Lubelfeld has repeatedly said that ‘We are not broke. We are broken.’ We are aware our buildings badly need attention, but we believe there is money for both, and our teachers are the heart of the district.”

Henkel said school closures are not part of these negotiations, nor were also not part of the previous negotiations “and these are not contractual issues … school closures are Board of Education decisions.” The prospect of school closures was floated by the district at the time of the prior contract stalemate which consumed nearly one year and a strike lasting one day.

In a Sept. 11 joint statement, both sides “remain committed to working together and remain hopeful that they will reach an agreement that will be fair to all stakeholders. The terms and conditions of the current agreement remain in effect, until such time as a successor agreement is reached.”