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President Don
Pallozzi's Address "Good evening - Congratulations to Julia, Ann Marie and Roger on their recent elections. Three years - what's happened in the past three years? Rising test scores, IB successes, eighth grade trips, sectional titles, AP credits, countless daily classroom successes along with proms, musicals and a rich social agenda. What else has happened? Brockport, Holley, Hilton, Spencerport, BOCES II, Gates, Brighton, Fairport, Pittsford, Rush, and Victor have all agreed on successor agreements. In the three years of the current Board's term these negotiations have never entered the classroom. Greece teachers have patiently waited trusting that both sides would do the right thing and come to a competitive agreement. Frustration and anger are growing; as is the disbelief that virtually all of the surrounding districts can settle contracts without reducing their agreements to wholesale rollbacks and we can't. What else has happened? The implementation of a new math program, new math instruction training, secondary literacy training, O'Flahaven and thousands of hours of training despite no contract. The professionalism of our teachers can't be questioned yet somehow it's acceptable to this board and administration that no legitimate offer has been made. The Association has pursued these negotiations to the point of risking bargaining against ourselves. It's a pretty simple formula - if you want to attract quality candidates, if you want to retain quality educators and coaches you have to be competitive with surrounding Districts. Schools should be the heart and soul of a community. They should be the first consideration when moving to a community. They will be a reason for stable or appreciating real estate values. In the 90's we topped the 14,000 student mark; today we are barely over 12,000. How much does this pervasive frustration contribute to our declining enrollments? What does it mean when in a town of nearly 100,000 people not even 5000 show up for a budget vote? It certainly isn't a message of approval nor is it a compelling mandate. I won't insult you by saying all the problems of the community will be fixed with a contract - we both know it's far more complex than that. But it's one critical factor in our control. The irony is that many less public union issues have been treated fairly and reasonably making this impasse so much more incomprehensible. The concessions expected at the table can do little but damage an already tarnished reputation. With the election of our newest board member and new board leadership we can look to next year with optimism - or resignation. We have the ability to reestablish Greece as a great district or we can maintain the status quo. With the new initiatives in math and secondary ELA I would think you would want to maximize teacher buy in. The longer this goes on, the more pervasive it becomes - it will continue to erode the confidence in our district. A contract isn't an answer to problems but it symbolizes respect. It says to the educators in this District that we value you; we appreciate the value you bring to our community. It is tangible evidence that offered praise is supported by the substance of a competitive contract. Thank you and good night." - President Don Pallozzi
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