Columbia School Board sets new rules for negotiating with teachers...without negotiating with teachers

The Columbia chapter of MNEA is the sole bargaining agent for Columbia teachers, but thanks to a complaint by MSTA, the rules for those negotiations were changed...without the teachers being allowed to play a role in that discussion:

Last night, the board approved collective bargaining parameters for the current school year, and those included having meetings held in the open. Other changes to the parameters this year include reducing the maximum number of meetings from 10 to eight.

The board unanimously approved the parameters. Board President Christine King said they represent "what the board wants." But the CMNEA bargaining team was disappointed they weren't part of the process, CMNEA member Susan Elliott said. "We are disheartened that we have not been able to offer our opinion on the ground rules," she said.

Elliott asked the board to table the parameters but said CMNEA understood that was "not likely to happen." Instead, Elliott provided CMNEA feedback on the parameters.

MNEA wanted board members to be a part of the negotiating process, but the board received legal advice not to be on the team, leaving it to administrators and an attorney.

So once again, we see a continued movement across the state to keep board members from knowing what is actually going on in their schools.