Report finds Moorhead teachers are lacking financiallySave

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DENNIS HAMILTON: The Morehead Education Association representing teachers in the district has presented the Morehead school board with their evaluation of the financial needs of the Morehead teaching community. Morehead Education Association president Jerry Richardson outlines the major points of that evaluation.

JERRY RICHARDSON: Our evidence shows that Morehead teachers are not well paid when compared to various other wage earning groups and that our request for a 25% increase in benefits would merely bring our teachers to a point near the average of other comparable school districts having 6,000 or more students.

And what this means is that in 30 schools that have 6,000 or more students, we are running 30 in a field of 30 schools in the state of Minnesota. A teacher could start in the City of Morehead and teach for 12 years and end up earning almost $29,000 less at the end of that 12-year period than would had he taught in another school.

Now, I believe that we're approaching a crisis point on this issue. There's going to come a day when the patience of teachers ends and morale begins to suffer, and teaching effectiveness will begin to decline. And to have the board say that if teachers want more money, they'll have to accept larger classes is not only a threat to the working conditions of teachers, but more importantly, is a direct threat to every child's education in the district.

DENNIS HAMILTON: Morehead Education Association President Jerry Richardson, it appears as though the teachers are asking for a referendum on the salary matter, asking Morehead residents to decide the pay question as they have for fire and police in this community. At any rate, the question is far from settled. And if history teaches any lessons in this matter, chances are negotiations will last well into September. I'm Dennis Hamilton.