I just got this from Lindbergh schools:

Lindbergh teachers voted Thursday night to endorse a new three-year agreement with the Lindbergh Schools administration and board that will pave the way for future decision-making by opening up discussions between teachers and administrators.

The next step will be for the administration to recommend ratification of the agreement to the Board of Education at its Nov. 10 meeting.

The Missouri Supreme Court ruling on Independence NEA vs. Independence School District ruled that teachers have a constitutional right to bargain collectively with their employers. Through the district’s most recent discussions, Lindbergh has set up a framework for future negotiations and has become a model for other districts in the state.

“We didn’t just reach an agreement on binding contract language, we also laid a foundation for future negotiations to be successful,” said Rick Francis, assistant superintendent for personnel.

The agreement, which teachers endorsed by a 6-to-1 margin, enhances collaboration processes between LNEA and administration.

“This agreement is a sign of the efforts on both the part of the Board of Education with the administration team, and the LNEA, to reach consensus and do what is in the best interests of our students,” said Lindbergh NEA co-presidents Beth Siegfried and Diane O’Leary in a statement Friday. “The ratification of the Lindbergh Teacher’s Agreement is a positive step for the future of Lindbergh Schools.”

“We were fortunate during negotiations to find common ground on items that were added to binding contract language,” said Superintendent Jim Simpson. “The changes that were made benefit teachers and also protect the governance rights of our Board of Education.”

Lindbergh administrators note that teacher and administrators never lost focus of their No. 1 priority, student achievement. This is reinforced by the district’s recent notification that it has been “Accredited with Distinction” by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for the ninth consecutive year, which would not have been possible without the ongoing dedication of teachers and administrators.

“We value and appreciate our teaching staff at Lindbergh and are encouraged about this most recent positive development,” said Ken Fey, board president. “We look forward to the administration’s presentation of the contract at our November board meeting.”

 

MONDAY UPDATE:  I got this from Lindbergh spokeswoman Beth Cross, in case you’re wondering about this aspect:  “Salaries, insurance and tuition reimbursement are all scheduled to be negotiated in January 2010. They were not included in this agreement.”