It came as welcome news to Christie BrownSilva that the Evergreen Public Schools and its union had reached a tentative bargaining agreement early Monday morning.
And it’s no wonder — BrownSilva has five children heading to school Wednesday.
“When you have kids that have counted down all summer long and you don’t know whether that’s going to happen as planned, that’s hard,” BrownSilva said.
The Evergreen Education Association, which represents district teachers, announced the tentative agreement Monday morning, describing a late night bargaining session that ran until about 4 a.m. The teachers are slated to consider and approve a contract this evening at a general meeting at the Clark County Fairgrounds.
It was a relief for BrownSilva, as well as for her children: Madison, 15; Jaymie, 13; Kenny, 9; Toby, 7; and Paige, 5.
“I was excited,” Jaymie said. “I’m ready to go back.”
Suzanna Gilchrist, whose daughter Callie is entering her senior year and son Liam his freshman year at Mountain View High School, was also reassured by the news.
“I’ve been worried as a parent,” she said.
Gilchrist, who described her daughter as a “school-a-holic,” said she feared the possibility of her children being in school one day, then off the next should the teachers vote to strike. A Clark County judge last week issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the teachers from striking on Wednesday, but left it open for another judge to review the situation after the first day of classes. A strike, however, seems unlikely at this point.
“That would be very disruptive,” she said. “One day you’re there, the next day you’re not.”
Lora Taylor, whose son Evan will start his junior year this year, was cautiously optimistic about the news. Taylor, who co-chaired the district’s successful levy campaign in 2012, was waiting to see more details about the contract before celebrating the news.
“My main worry is are teachers getting a fair deal from the district,” she said. “Our kids will not succeed if our teachers do that have a work environment that supports them.”
More details about the contract will be released at today’s meeting. To approve the deal, a quorum — 610 of the district’s 1,830 union teachers — will need to attend, and a majority of those in attendance will need to vote in favor of the contract.
