INDIANAPOLIS — After nearly four months of contract negotiations, MSD of Pike Township School District and the Pike Classroom Teachers Association have reached a tentative agreement.
The new 24-page proposed contract outlines salaries and benefits, but at this time, neither the district nor the teachers association wanted to discuss details. The plan is to do an overview at Monday night’s school board meeting after the teachers association holds a ratification meeting.
This tentative agreement comes after multiple remote learning days because of staff absences and a recent petition to remove the district’s superintendent and other school leaders.
“We have spoken extraordinarily loud. We have screamed at the top of our lungs that this has to happen,” said Jennifer Rubenstein, who helped start the petition. “It is just absolutely out of control. I am horrified that this is what’s happening.”
Rubenstein said the proposed contract gives some hope, but said it won’t change the current leadership and communication problems happening in the district.
“It is going to take a lot of rebuild for us to have a positive culture moving forward. It is going to take years, but the first step is getting somebody in that is going to be a good leader,” she said.
At last week’s board meeting, the president of PCTA presented the results of a “no confidence” vote on the superintendent.
“From a quorum of our members, one percent said ‘yes,’ and 99 percent said ‘no,’” said PCTA President Chris Ludy.
At that meeting, the superintendent was not in attendance and hasn’t been at recent school-related events, according to parents. The school board said they will not share anything involving her employment at this time, even though her employment status was an item on last week’s agenda.
Rubenstein said she believes there are other leaders in the district who could fill those shoes.
“I do have hope that if some of those individuals could step in bigger roles, that they do have the best interest in our community and our children at heart,” she said.
Many teachers and parents also fear the drawn-out negotiations caused dozens of teachers and staff members to leave the district this year and will make it harder to attract more.
“All of the good teachers, where are they? This ‘resign’ list makes me cry,” said one staff member at last week’s board meeting.
“I have lost count of the number of colleagues that have left or will be leaving come January,” said a teacher at the meeting.
When asked Monday morning, the district did not comment further on the proposed contract. For now, parents like Rubenstein wait for changes to happen, hoping the school board will take responsibility.
"The effect of what has happened and the tactics of what has happened over the last several months has allowed us to lose those teachers and now we are struggling with finding replacements," she said. "The next step for me would be the school board to take accountability for what happened and actually acknowledge it."
Monday’s special board meeting will be held at Central Elementary School at 7 p.m.
Another meeting is scheduled for Thursday at the same time and location. The school board hopes to vote on the proposed contract then.