2 weeks before start of school in Crystal Lake District 47, teachers still without contract

Crystal Lake teachers rallied outside the District 47 offices Monday afternoon ahead of another contract negotiation session.

The district and the teachers union, Crystal Lake Elementary Teachers Association, have been working since October 2023 to negotiate a new contract.

The current contract is set to expire Aug. 19 – the first day of the new school year. In June, a federal mediator was brought in by the district to assist with negotiations. Federal mediation is the first step before a legal strike can happen, according to a Monday news release from the Illinois Education Association.

“If an agreement still cannot be reached with the help of a federal mediator, then the public posting process will be initiated. The last best offers would be posted publicly and then the teachers could initiate the strike 10 days later,” according to the release.

Monday marked two weeks before the start of the school year, and as the negotiation team made their way into the district offices, several dozen teachers and other supporters, most of whom were donning red shirts in solidarity with CLETA, lined the parking lot to clap and cheer them on.

CLETA President Jenny Sanchez said Monday there was a bargaining session in July and another scheduled for Aug. 19.

The goal is to have “a fair and equitable contract for the first day of school,” Sanchez said. She added that financial issues are a big part of current negotiations.

“We’re losing really great teachers,” Sanchez said.

Some of what the union is seeking includes “making schools safer, adequate plan time, wages and benefits, and eliminating an outside staffing agency that has been used in an attempt to fill open positions,” according to the release.

While the next session isn’t planned until Aug. 19, the teachers union indicated Monday it wants a new contract in place for the new school year.

“We want to make sure the board understands the gravity of the situation. School is scheduled to start two weeks from today, and we would like to start the year with a contract,” CLETA spokesperson Jen Rutishauser said in the release.

Courtney O’Berry, a STEM teacher at Bernotas Middle School, brought her dog Molly to the rally.

“We need a good contract,” O’Berry said. Molly, who was also wearing a red shirt, posed for photos with the negotiators before they walked in.

“She might be the mascot” now, O’Berry said.

According to the union’s release, 73% of the district’s teachers were “seriously considering” leaving their jobs, and 37% teachers make so little money they work another job.

“When you have almost three quarters of your educators saying they’re thinking of quitting, it should sound a massive alarm bell with all parents, Crystal Lake community members and the administration,” Rutishauser said in the release. “They’re not contemplating leaving because they don’t like teaching or because they’re close to retirement. They want to leave because they’re not making enough money, and they’re not being fairly compensated for their years of experience. We love our students. We love that our schools are the heart of our community, but at some point, you have to put your family and your family’s bottom line first.”

When asked Monday about the status of the teacher contract talks, District 47 spokesperson Kari Firak referred to a district news release issued in June when the federal mediator was brought in.