Reynoldsburg Teachers Look To Federal Moderator For Help

The Reynoldsburg City Schools district has received push back from teachers over its proposed contract. The district wants to institute merit pay and bonuses as well as a lump sum for health insurance. The teacher contract expires in two days. Reynoldsburg Education Association spokeswoman Gina Daniels said she’s optimistic about a meeting with a federal mediator set for next month. "We're very hopeful that with the help of a mediator we can reach a fair settlement before school starts," Daniels said. "And that we will have a fairly negotiated contract before the teachers are back in the classrooms." Daniels added she doesn't expect teachers to strike. "We're all hoping to avoid that, but we need to have a fair contract in order to be able to start the school year strong." Reynoldsburg school district spokeswoman Tricia Moore said an agreement can still be worked out before school begins next month. "You know we're pretty confident; we've only met a handful of times," she said. "There's still some work to be done, but with the help of the mediator making good progress I am optimistic that we can come to a resolution soon." More teachers have resigned this year than last year. Moore didn't tie that to the proposed contract changes. "We did see a higher proportion of the teachers who resigned were those ineffective teachers than were in the total staff." Daniels, who spoke on All Sides with Ann Fisher, will work in another school district this fall. Reynoldsburg City Schools classes being August 13th.