To the Editor:

At the last Princeton Public Schools Board of Education meeting, Board member Patrick Sullivan’s explanation of the reasons for the negotiation stalemate with the teacher’s union felt like déjà vu. It was hard not to come away thinking the School Board was crying wolf. How many times have we heard the same arguments about small budget caps and huge budget shortfalls (ranging anywhere from 1.2 to 2 million dollars)? The caps have been in place for years with the slight decrease to the current cap of 2 percent having been instituted four years ago. It is shameful for the Board to use the cost of special needs students as a reason for denying teachers a salary increase; this student population faces enough challenges without being used in the Board’s negotiations game by exaggerating their costs.

In previous negotiation cycles these same arguments were presented, and somehow, the board found a way to negotiate a higher salary increase of 2-3 percent per year (despite the 2 percent cap). The offer this year is 1.8 percent annual increase over three years. It is not a matter of having the money but of the priorities as to how the money is allocated. It does not show respect to teachers to give the administrators an annual increase of 2.4 percent for the first year (which, given the range of administrators’ salaries, means a raise of approximately $2,678 to $4,449) while offering the newest teachers a raise of only $972 that same year (which, in fact, would not be that much because of the increase in payments for health benefits). It would have been more respectful to anticipate the need for settlements with both unions and to pool both sets of salaries so as to disseminate the raises more equitably across the unions.

The Board perennially points to increasing health care costs to help justify its tax hike, but for the past three years the amount the Board has paid for premiums has NOT increased because the teachers have been paying for all of those increases plus an additional $400,000 this year. Apparently, that is not enough. The Board should be showing some gratitude rather than treating our teachers in this manner.

Sadly, long gone are the days when Joel Cooper, former Princeton Board of Education president, gave an impassioned speech about why teachers should be paid a fair, professional wage. He did not have to use the word “respect” because his eloquent, inspiring elucidation of the value of teachers demonstrated it.

Ann Summer

Cedar Lane