NESPA MEMBERS TELL THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT:
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STUDY THIS: RESPECT!
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On Tuesday, Oct 5 at 7:15 AM, over twenty NESPA members walked in Room 201 in the Administrative Center. We carried signs reading, “STUDY THIS: RESPECT”. In smaller print, the sign said, “Change the outdated gender-biased compensation system. We are NOT second class employees!”
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It was October’s “Breakfast study Session” held by the School Board and Superintendent Francois most months. Whenever a majority of the School Board gathers (3 of the 5 members), State law requires that the meeting be publicized and open to the public. It must be a public meeting in order to ensure that District decisions are transparent to the public.
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We stood holding our signs for thirty minutes, as the Board met with Supt. Francois; Executive Director of Human Resources Laurie Ferwerda; Asst. Supt for Elementary Education Kathleen Poole; and Asst. Supt for Secondary Education Carolyn O’Keeffe. Four Board members were at the meeting: Julia Lacey, Janet Quinn, Dawn McCravey, and Sandy Hayes. Todd Banks was absent.
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Room 201 is not a big room. We could not be ignored. We left at 7:45 AM, to go to our schools for work.
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Barb Arvidson, a Special Ed Paraeducator at Fernwood said, “They didn't expect to see us in "their space". Although the Board members tried to avoid eye contact with us, there were too many of us to ignore! I hope that they got the message that we are not going to back down. It’s time for them to acknowledge our true worth and give us the respect we deserve."
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