At the June 2024 meeting of the Forest Hills School District (FHSD) Board of Education, Forest Hills Teachers Association (FHTA) President Chris Preston updated the community on the status of teacher contract negotiations for the 2024-25 school year and beyond. Turns out, there was a negotiation meeting to take place on June 10 that was cancelled the night before.
Now, current FHSD teacher contracts have been allowed to expire without a new one to take its place. And it is because Board President Sara Jonas and Board Vice President Katie Stewart refuse to sit down with the FHTA reps and work with them.
Teachers play a crucial role in our community. They are not only educators. They are coaches, caregivers and so much more. Parents depend on the schools and the teachers in them to provide top-notch education and childcare during the day, while they’re at work. The majority of FHSD teachers live in the district, send their kids to the schools and pay the same property taxes. The talented and experienced teachers in the Forest Hills School District are the reason FHSD is highly rated. They deserve fair contracts … or at least the opportunity for their reps to negotiate one.
Last year, the community passed an operating levy for the school district. We did so knowing that the majority of operating expenses goes towards salaries and benefits. The community believes in retaining the top talent and keeping FHSD highly rated in education. So, supporting fairly negotiated teacher contracts is important to the taxpayers.
We need YOU to contact the FHSD Board of Education and demand that they give the Forest Hills Teachers Association the opportunity to continue negotiations until they agree on a fair contract for their teachers.
Use your own words. Make it as personal as you can, because for parents and the rest of the Forest Hills community, public education is personal.
General Board Email: board@foresthills.edu
Larry Hook (Superintendent): larryhook@foresthills.edu
Sara Jonas (Board President): sarajonas@foresthills.edu
Katie Stewart (Board Vice President): katiestewart@foresthills.edu
Dr. Wendy Strickler: wendystrickler@foresthills.edu
Bob Bibb: bobbibb@foresthills.edu
Dr. Jason Simmons: jasonsimmons@foresthills.edu
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.