Teachers Dropping After-School AP Review Sessions Should Not Be a Bargaining Chip
To the Editor:
We Princetonians are justifiably proud of our schools and students. We find the current impasse between the teacher’s union and the school board regrettable. This letter does not examine the reasons why there is no contract but looks at one of its consequences.
If there is one common ground among us all, it is the desire to give our students the best education we can and to springboard them into the future. For most, that means going to the best college possible. Advanced Placement (AP) is an important way for our student scholars to demonstrate their academic abilities and earn college credits. The excellent performance over the years by Princeton students in the AP exams is another measure of our schools’ success. Compromising this success would be a mistake.
The community needs to be aware of a letter that was sent to parents/guardians on September 15, 2014 signed by 30 teachers (not all AP teachers signed the letter). We quote, “The purpose of this letter is to inform you that a significant change may take place this spring that will affect AP students as well as other students around the district.” The letter further states that, due to the lack of a contract, these teachers will not continue the long standing tradition of holding intense after-school AP review sessions. The union argues that teachers are not compensated for the work related to conducting these sessions, and in some cases incur additional out-of-pocket costs (such as day care) for their time. The letter concludes: “Other similarly cherished activities throughout the district may also be cancelled or diminished.”
One of these voluntary activities may include withholding writing college recommendations, one of the cornerstones of a college application. Because of the contract dispute, some of the Princeton teachers are refusing to write them. One teacher has told a student that (s)he considered it extra work outside of the contract and added that the student should put pressure on the parents to ask the school board to sign the contract.
Further to the September 15 letter, the union leadership has sent the parents a letter dated November 13 stating that teachers will not “perform or participate in activities, including their planning, for which we are not compensated and that extend beyond the school day…. If it’s on their time, they are not going to participate.” The union’s position is clear.
College admission(s) is already a highly competitive process, and without Advanced Placement review courses and teacher(s’) recommendations our students will suffer. We urge these teachers to set aside their grievances and to conduct the review sessions and write the recommendations. Withholding these long standing practices should not be a bargaining chip.
Our intention with this letter is not to debate the issue or question anyone’s motivations, but we want the community to be aware of this problem and consider it during negotiations and thereafter.
Susan Carril
Westcott Road
James Hockenberry
Randall Road
Frank Wiener
Loomis Court