Sunday, October 31, 2010

Webb reacts to NFT ad

School Board President Ritchie Webb was interviewed by the Courier Times regarding the recent full page ad from Louise Boyd and the NFT . . .

Neshaminy school board President Ritchie Webb was surprised to see a full-page, paid advertisement in the newspaper from Louise Boyd, president of the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers.

"I found it odd because I've heard Ms. Boyd say several times that she will not negotiate in the media," he said.

"First of all, it was insulting," Webb said Thursday. "It's a little offensive that she calls 35 years' worth of board members - who are just community members who volunteer their time to try to make the community better - liars. Was it not the same 'lying' board that gave them the Rolls Royce health benefits package and a contract that is the envy of workers all over the state?"

In the ad, Boyd also addressed the union's work-to-contract directive - instructing teachers to work to the letter of their contract to show how much extra they do - which has drawn angry reactions from parents throughout the district.

"When Neshaminy students are in class, we provide them 100 percent of our teaching effort," Boyd said in the letter. "What we won't do is 'extra' work when we don't have a contract. That's not arrogance or lack of caring. That's negotiating. We have every legal and moral right to work to contract - especially when the district refuses to treat us with respect, dignity and fairness."
Most teachers did not take part in back-to-school nights and many have chosen not to decorate classroom bulletin boards as part of the work-to-contract action.


Recently, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell said that teachers have every right to fight for a fair contract, but added that the work-to-contract is "hurting the kids."

Webb agreed.

"I always say, how can anything that hurts 9,000 students every day be right? It may be legal, but it's not right. She says it's just negotiations, but they are using the children as pawns," he said.

The newspaper was unsuccessful in reaching Boyd after sending an e-mail Thursday and Friday.

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4 comments:

Rose said...

Okay I just want to add my 2 cents for the board to add things into the contract. If the teachers make so much money and proclaim they are professionals HAVE THEM DRESS LIKE PROFESSIONALS!

Rose said...

And let's add Halloween parades to the contract!

Langhorne Resident said...

If Mr. Webb disagrees with the acusations, why doesn't he simply provide the documentation that refutes them?

KClarinet said...

Let's not add Halloween parades to the contract!