Sunday, April 28, 2013
After-school project receives donations from teachers, administrators, parents.
The Warren Township Education Association hosted a blood drive Thursday at Warren Middle School, with more than 30 association members, as well as a number of others, donated to replenish area blood supplies. In conjunction with New Jersey Blood Services, the drive had a steady stream of donors. As a result of the drive, Blood Service gained 19 first-time donors, including five who opted for the service's new Alyx system, which is able to capture the red blood cells only from a donor's blood without withdrawing plasma. This benefits blood services by providing twice the amount of usable blood, without leaving a donor "drained" of too much blood. Organizer Jane Auriemma was particularly happy about the number of first-time donors.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Fact finder's report posted on district website.
After more than two years in negotiations, Warren Township's Board of Education and education association grabbed a chance to settle a contract, with teachers slated to receive increases totaling 9 percent in four increments. The increases are from the fact finder's recommendation, which specifies a 2.4 percent increase backdated to Feb. 1, 2011; a 2.3 percent increase on Nov. 16, 2011; and future increases of 2 percent on Sept. 1 and a 2.3 percent incease on Sept. 1, 2013. "While the above recommended increases will disappoint each side, although in different ways, I believe they make a reasonable, affordable and workable package," fact finder Jean Hattigan wrote. The report notes the increases are "responsive to the Board's budget …
Monday, June 11, 2012
Dramatic end to two-year stalemate just hours after fact-finder's report emailed.
In a stunning two-step move, the Warren Township Board of Education and Warren Township Education Association agreed Monday to accept the recommendations of the state-appointed fact finder. Specifics terms of the recommendation have not been released, pending notification of the WTEA membership. The report was received after noon Monday by board members, board of education President Gregory Przybylski said at the board's meeting at the middle school, and the board called a 15-minute executive session to discuss the report. "The board of education is prepared to accept the fact finder's recommendation...and is prepared to present that as a contract offer to the teachers and the associated groups," Dr. Przybylski said after the closed …
40.63628
-74.48769
Warren Middle School
100 Old Stirling Rd, Warren, NJ
/articles/warren-school-board-teachers-accept-fact-finder-s-recommendations
1666967
/locations/7191410
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Union response to Wednesday's statement notes word of fact finder's report may be forthcoming.
After the statement issued Wednesday by the Warren Township Board of Education, Warren Township Educaiton Association President Fran Blabolil issued the following statement: "We are pleased with the Board’s new, positive tone and find it an encouraging sign that they are ready and willing to accept the fact finder's report once it is made available. Unfortunately, the statement makes several assertions that concern us—especially since it continues to fail to acknowledge the continual lack of respect the Board has shown the WTEA throughout this three-year process—but we choose to defer any additional comment until after the fact finding report is available, which we understand should be no later than this Friday. Until then, we are pleased…
40.62623
-74.501739
Warren Township Board of Education
213 Mount Horeb Rd, Warren, NJ
/articles/wtea-accepts-school-board-s-offer-to-attend-meeting
757956
/locations/7171459
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Says fact-finder's report expected within the week.
- SCHOOLS
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Wednesday, June 6, 2012
The Board of Education would like to express its appreciation for the community’s patience throughoutthese past several months as members work toward the resolution of the BOE‐WTEA contract. A fact‐finding hearing took place on Dec. 7, 2011. Since that time, the Board of Education has initiated three face‐to‐face meetings. Representatives from the two groups have also spoken via telephone calls and have exchanged multiple proposals. Although early offers included salary adjustments of less than 2 percent in any year, higher offers were made in more recent discussions. To respond to questions asked of board members and to clarify any misinformation, please note the following regarding recent proposals presented by the Board of Education…
40.62623
-74.501739
Warren Township Board of Education
213 Mount Horeb Rd, Warren, NJ
/articles/township-school-board-issues-negotiations-update
757956
/locations/7161438
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
‘Anxious’ board wants to keep the dialogue open.
“We’re equally frustrated.” That was how Warren Board of Education member Sue Burman described the current status of talks between the school board and the Warren Township Education Association (WTEA) in response to a question from Mountain Avenue resident George Vetter at Monday’s board meeting. The WTEA has been without a contract since July 1, 2010. Negotiations began in the fall of 2009. Burman reported that the board’s representatives met about three weeks ago with the fact finder, who has yet to issue an official report. “We’re all anxious to have the fact finder issue his report,” she assured members of the public and the more than 20 teachers in the audience. “We’re taking advantage of the stalled process to continue talking and …
Monday, May 14, 2012
Township school negotiators meeting, while still waiting for fact finder's report.
March 19—the date negotiators working on a new teachers contract expected a report from the state fact finder—came and went with no word from the fact finder. In recent weeks, the negotiators have held more meetings and while an agreement on salaries and benefits has not been reached, some progress has been made. "I would say they are closer than ever," Superintendent Tami Crader said. According to Dr. Crader and Warren Township Education Association President Fran Blabolil, the negotiating teams have met "a couple of times" in recent weeks. The talks in recent weeks ended a period of waiting for the fact finder's report, which some had hoped would help bring about an end to the protracted negotiations. Although the report is not binding …
40.62623
-74.501739
Warren Township Board of Education
213 Mount Horeb Rd, Warren, NJ
/articles/progress-on-talks-but-no-settlement-in-sight
757956
/locations/7001798
Friday, April 27, 2012
Talks continuing as district awaits.
The state-appointed fact finder's report, which was expected in March, is still nowhere in sight, according to Warren Township Board of Education member Sue Burman. Residents—and negotiators for the school board and teachers association—have been anxious for the report and the impetus it may provide in the talks, which have been going on since the expiration of the teachers' contract in June 2010. Originally, the district had been told to expect the report 45 days after representatives of both the district and Warren Township Education Association met with Thomas D. Hartigan on Dec. 7 and Jan. 13. The report will be made public 10 days after both negotiating teams receive it. Despite the lack of movement from the fact finder, Burman said …
Monday, March 19, 2012
Teachers in Warren school and at Watchung Hills Regional are now foregoing many extra duties.
We reported on the recent move by the Watchung Hills Regional Education Association to impose "work to rule" hours, that is, working in strict compliance to specified duties and not performing many of the additional tasks the public is used to seeing teachers do. The move follows similar efforts by Warren Township Education Association members, with parents regularly complaining about the lack of communication and access the rule is causing. In both cases, the education associations view work to rule as a way to express frustration with ongoing negotiations, as well as demonstrate the many duties teachers perform outside of their regular and defined job functions. We want to know what parents think—does it make you feel upset at the …
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Report likely to help force movement in Warren Township school negotiations not expected in 45-day time frame.
A report on the stalled contract talks between Warren Township's board of education and the teachers association is not expected to be delivered Monday, the 45th business day after both sides provided the necessary documentation. And despite the delay in what many parents may have been hoping would be a breakthrough on the situation, the New Jersey School Boards Association's Michael Yaple says it's not unusual for such delays to happen. "Forty-five days is commonly used as the target for submitting the fact-finder’s report to both parties in school district fact-finding," he said. "Both school and union officials understand that mediators and fact-finders typically have a heavy caseload—and when the economy gets difficult, as it is now, …
Alyson
2:12 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
Taking all of this out on our children was not only wrong, it was unprofessional. It is all very sad and I doubt will be forgotten soon. Too bad a few had to spoil things for the many... Peer pressure and bullying in adults obviously existed throughout this negotiation, thankfully the children didn't recognize it for the most part. All very bad examples for impressionable children. I am grateful … more ›