Galesburg Education Association

2101 Windish Dr. Galesburg, IL 61401
(309)-371-6029 gea.president@gmail.com

Press Release
July 24th, 2014
Time: 3:00 p.m.

For Immediate Release

The teaching professionals and paraprofessionals of the Galesburg School District and Knox- Warren Special Education Cooperative believe actions speak louder than words.  For years we have heard and read in the media the District’s spin about how we have no money while their actions of spending demonstrate differently.  As many in our community are asked to do more and more in expanding job duties without fair compensation, we see the number of management positions grow to lessen their load while they earn almost twice as much including having their pensions completely funded.

We, the teaching professional and paraprofessionals of the Galesburg School District and Knox-Warren Special Education Cooperative, believe:

• The foundation to a quality school is found in the people who are actually in the classrooms with your children.
• Our classrooms are more important than other structures in the district.
• Having quality teachers educate your children is more important than machines educating your children.
• All teachers and students should be afforded a safe work environment with appropriate support for discipline.
• Employees that have given decades of their life in commitment to the children of the community deserve a fair evaluation system that does not suspend or dismiss without just cause
• People who devote their lives to the school district should receive the retirement they paid for and were hired under.
• No one should be forced to work without being told their specific work hours or number of days.
• The GEA proposed teacher salary increase of 1.5% actually costs the District less than what they paid in teacher’s salary last year and is more than affordable.
• Our paraprofessionals are critical to the education of our children and their wages should be consistent with minimum wage increases.
• The law and the negotiated contract should be followed without personal retribution.

Once again, educators are disillusioned and concerned about the lack of progress in contract negotiations when all we seek is a contract that is fair to all school stakeholders . . . educators, students, and taxpayers included. We seek an agreement that supports the proposition that quality educators are the foundation of a quality school district.  The school board is responsible for its past budgeting decisions.  Educators and students should not be paying the cost of poor economic decisions while administrators line their pockets.  We need a fair contract to attract and retain quality educators for our children and district.  Help us achieve this.  Support your educators for a better tomorrow for your children.

Our educators continue to hope for a settlement before the school year is scheduled to begin.