RTA Hopes to Unseat Board Members

– By Jim Byrne –

With three seats on the Board of Education up for grabs in May’s election, the Rye Teachers Association has begun a search for candidates who support their goals.
George Krajca, an English teacher at Rye High School, has been authorized by the Executive Committee of the RTA to head the hunt for contenders to replace the Board members whose terms expire June 30 – President Josh Nathan, Vice President Laura Slack, and George Cady.

“Removing this intractable board is our best hope for achieving an equitable contract,” said Krajca in an e-mail circulated in March. “The overall strategy is to find people who will advocate for our students rather than advocate for the tax payers.”

“I do not think the RTA's strategy of recruiting candidates for the upcoming election will be effective in the contract negotiations, nor do I believe such candidates will be supported by the voters,” said Nathan. “The RTA has been seeking compensation increases that are not consistent with the need to slow budget growth and tax rate increases. That need has become so serious in the current economic climate that the Board and community are considering a proposed budget including the elimination of as many as 17 District positions. The timing of this effort by the RTA strikes me as wholly out of synch with the economic reality in which we are all living and this Board's well stated commitment to seeing that the District's students continue to receive an excellent, innovative, and competitive educational program.”

Dr. Jaime Zung, the RTA President, downplayed the new contract aspect of the candidate search and said they are searching for people who value education.
“We’re not looking for a candidate to take the contract and set it aside,” said Dr. Zung, a science teacher at Rye High School. “We’re looking for people who are more aware of what actually goes on in school. The current Board is stressing the burden on the taxpayer, and we understand that, but they don’t ever say education is an important thing and is well spent.”

Employee salaries and benefits consume nearly 80% of Rye’s school budget, and account for $53,368,150 of the $68,251,850 in the current school year’s approved budget. According to School Business Official Kathleen Ryan, the average salary for current RTA members is $86,977. While the District does not track benefit costs by bargaining unit, they typically estimate them to be about 30% of an employee’s salary. Ryan said that, as an example, a teacher earning the average salary with family health coverage would receive benefits of approximately $31,500 – including FICA, Teachers Retirement System, Welfare Fund and family health premium – with a net 8% contribution.

The RTA’s current contract expired in June of 2007, but remains in effect until a new deal is agreed upon. Therefore those RTA members not on the top step continue to receive annual step increment pay increases at an average of 4.3%.

The RTA made a new contract offer at a confidential meeting with a supermediator present April 1, and RCSD Superintendent Dr. Edward Shine said the offer will be brought to the Board of Education at the April 14 meeting for their consideration.
Both Nathan and Slack will run for re-election, while Cady has decided not to. According to the District, three additional candidates now have petitions. Only one of them, 45-year-old Ray Schmitt, has indicated his name may be shared publicly. Petitions must be submitted no later than April 29 at 5 p.m. to be eligible for the May 19 election.