Show Local Teachers Spurn New Contract Offer Uintah School District has mailed contracts to teachers providing for salary increases Contracts provide for raises ranging from to per teacher depending d pending on years of experience Utah Education Association has asked the states state's teachers to refrain from entering the salary negotiations until the school finance problem has been satisfactorily resolved ON MARCH 16 memo mem- members bers voted to to fol fol- fol follow low such action Uintah District has mailed both contracts and letters of intent to teach If neither is received by May 9 the position involved will be considered vacant according to Supt J C Haws In Uintah School District beginning salaries have in- in increased in creased from to per year and maximum sala sala- salaries ries from to per year Teachers reach maxi maxi- maximum mum pay in 14 years THE CURRENT contract contrad is for teaching days Although school districts are required by law to offer contracts with salary commit commit- commitments ments it was not anticipated that teachers will sign them until after the has met with the Governor Uintah Education Association Association tion met Thursday night at Uintah High School and de de- de decided against signing the con con- contracts tracts Aaron Hansen president of the local education association association tion said Although we de de- decided against signing the con con- contracts contracts tracts we will notify the school through letters of in tent of those teachers who will stay in the district when the present educational impasse Im- Im Impasse passe is resolved School Superintendent J C Haws explained Monday that 74 of all money received from the basic school pro pro- program gram less transportation has been put Into salaries for tea teachers chers teacher substitutes principals counselors and lib lib lib- and for insurance This year the same percent percent- percentage age a C of aU all old as well as new will go Into the same TEACHING NON personnel also are receiving an increase in salaries on a similar per per- percentage percentage basis More than 90 of all money received from Continued on page 5 Teachers S Continued from page 1 the basic school program less transportation goes inlo mb w- w salaries aries of school employees Supt Haws pointed out The local school district anticipates a two mill increase in the levy from 22 to 24 mills for maintenance and opera opera- lion than 93 of the anticipated ot o new money from the new state law has been earmarked for salaries SUPT HAWS flAWS said that the Board is required by by- bylaw law to set up a bu budget get by June 1 and tOI therefore It has baa to set salary schedules The Board must of of- of offer fer specific salary amounts to teachers and do everything possible to open schools on time The Board has fulfilled its legal obligation and is not li Ii- Ii able to the State Dept of Edu- Edu Education Education cation for any lack of opening Supt Haws said Up to the present a total of 27 teachers have indicated they will be leaving and 17 of the vacancies have been filled The loss of teachers is only just the beginning Supt Haws said LAST YEAR THE District hired 50 new teachers to corn com for growth and turn turn- turnover over Aaron Hansen president of Education Association Tuesday evening in an inter inter- interview interview view with The Vernal Ex Express press explained the educators ors points of view lie He said The CAPS proposal did not reach the floor of the reo recent cent state legislature for theIr consideration The bill proposed ed and supported by the edu education cation groups in the state was war never allowed to move out of the sifting committee In spite of concentrated effort of the legislators for the bill to get the bill out of this committee ONE ONI OF THE main con con- concernS cerns of the teachers in the state is the feeling that the education problem In Utah of quality education for each child has not had a fair and adequate treatment because of economic pressures Every known political move and ethical procedure to get this bill bib on the floor was tried but was unsuccessful In Inthe Inthe the eyes of the educators in inthe inthe the state the last possible ethl ethical cal step to focus attention of the Governor legislators and the general citizenry it to refuse fuse to negotiate salaries for forthe forthe the coming school year EDUCATORS in the state are not happy that the educational impasse has created this drastic situation Teachers will be very happy when this problem can be resolved Our state constitution pro pro- provides vides for special sessions of the legislature to handle em em- emergencieS of the state Teach Teach- Teachers ers feels that the request be be- be being ing made lor foi a special session represents a legal ethical and very realistic answer to the present impasse Through an 18 month study educators came up with what they felt was a practical operational plan to upgrade education in Utah THIS PLAN WAS to bring the amount of money spent in Utah per child up to the aver aver- average age of the surrounding states I II I feel that the children in I Utah are worth more than the average However we realize that to move beyond this min mm- figure at this time would be impractical and un tin- realistic In spite of this minimal request House Bill was not even allowed to be discussed ed and another bill bUl offering less than half of the CAPS proposal was passed by the legislature The educators of Utah have taken this stand for high high- higher er quality education for every child chUd in the state The request we are making for a special is in our professional judgment the only thing left for us to do THIS PROBLEM is In the hands of the governor and we feel that he could resolve this Impasse if he so desired Mr Mc Hansen concluded |