Union representatives in the Shawnee Mission school district warned there could be a “mass exodus” of teachers now that the two sides have failed to agree on a new contract for this school year — despite negotiating since last spring.
“Special education (teachers) could walk out today. There are openings in districts 10 miles from here in special ed. Young teachers can go to other districts and make more money,” said Linda Sieck, president of the National Education Association-Shawnee Mission. “Secondary teachers might be willing to take a pay decrease to know that their district is interested in working with teachers.”
School district administration and union officials met for five hours on Tuesday to take one last stab at reaching a contract agreement. The unsuccessful final session followed months of negotiations and a state-mandated fact-finding process.
(Read more: Joco 913 News)