EUCLID, Ohio — The Euclid Teachers’ Association (ETA) delivered a 10-day strike notice Friday after 26 hours of negotiations with the school board reached a stalemate, according to Josh Stephens, spokesperson for ETA.
“Euclid teachers have long been a primary stabilizing force in the lives of our students," said Stephens. "Euclid teachers have filled the gaps when the district has failed to provide students with fundamentals such as transportation, adequate building security, and extracurricular learning and growth opportunities. We have done so out of our deep professional commitment to the improvement of the children of Euclid. But now we have been denied a contract which would have allowed us to provide the children of this community the education they deserve. And, for that reason, I will proudly walk the line until this Board comes to its senses.”
The association said contract negotiations began last spring but hit a standstill as the board demanded that teaching staff give up long-held contractual rights that were implemented to “ensure student success and are viewed as models throughout the state.”
As of Friday, teachers have been working more than 130 days without a contract. ETA said a vote will be taken within the next 10 days to initiate the strike, which will last until an agreement is reached.
ETA said the Board of Education seeks to strip teachers of their rights to remain in the classroom.
"The Board demands that administrators have the power to remove teachers from their classrooms and reassign them at any point in the school year to any classroom of the Board’s choosing as decided by a revolving door of administrators who rarely remain in the district for more than a few years before leaving for better paying or easier jobs elsewhere. The ETA holds that this language would destroy the teacher-student relationship which is an important foundation for learning, particularly for low-income students and students of color, both of whom are significant groups served by Euclid teachers. This example highlights some of the anti-student, radical agenda pushed by the Board of Education under the guise of contract 'modernization.'”
Board of Education released the following statement:
"Thank you for your inquiry and the opportunity to share information from the Euclid Board of Education on this matter. Our 4,700 students and their families are our top priority. We very much want to finalize an agreement with the union, but if they elect to strike, students’ education must and will continue."
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