Contract negotiations between the Trotwood Madison School District and its teachers and support staff have stalled — again. The two sides have been at odds since March 2022.
About 340 teachers and support staff make up the Trotwood Madison Education Association. For almost a year, members have been working without a contract. They are working with one of the largest teachers’ unions in Ohio, the Ohio Education Association.
All day Tuesday, February 21, a federal mediator attempted to help union representatives and the Trotwood Madison School District reach an agreement. But extensive debating produced no tangible results. This was their 38th bargaining session.
Angela Bruno is TMEA union president and part of the bargaining team. She says her members want the school board to stabilize the district.
“We have been working this entire school year without any updates, increases or improvements,” Bruno explained. “I think it also breeds anxiety in the community without stability in programming in curriculum and staffing and leadership.”
According to Bruno, since 2018 — the district has had four superintendents. Additionally, she said at the end of the last school year, about 50 teachers and staff left for various reasons.
Bruno complains the district needs to do more to stop losing its most valuable resource, experienced teachers and staff.
“When you have staff who have been here for a number of years, then comes experience and with experience is wisdom,” Bruno said.
She stated these staff are skilled in navigating a range of situations that crop up with students, with other staff and they offer valuable support to parents.
As a result, Bruno said more than half of the staff and teachers left have less than five years of experience — and aren’t getting vital guidance.
“Our new staff need coaching, they need mentoring,” Bruno explained. “They need somebody who’s going to be in their corner when they have bad days and say, ‘It’s just a bad day — it doesn’t mean you’re a bad you.’ ”
In the end, Bruno said it’s vital to have a balanced combination of experienced and new teachers and staff.
She also contends these realities make it tough for her membership to feel confident and optimistic regarding their future with the Trotwood Madison School District.
“It’s hard to focus on being there for our students, on having the energy and heart space when we don’t know if we ourselves are able to take care of us,” Bruno said.
The union and the school district will return to the bargaining table March 17.
WYSO reached out to the district administration and to the school board several times, but they have not responded to our requests. Earlier this month, school board president Vanessa Jeter-Freeman told the Dayton Daily News the board values all staff and is committed to keeping the district financially sound.
