Frustration and anger

DEERWOOD -- About 400 Crosby-Ironton residents who packed the historic Deerwood Auditorium Tuesday night were met with widespread applause as they vented their frustration and anger about the three-week-old teachers' strike.

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The meeting was hosted by a group of C-I parents who said they were fed up by the strike and having their children used as pawns. They called the community meeting to gather ideas and comments and come up with ways they can help resolve the strike so their children can return to school. Another meeting has been planned for 7 p.m. Monday at the Deerwood Auditorium.

Craig Johnson, a Crosby-Ironton High School math teacher and head football coach, spoke on behalf of striking teachers to C-I parents and community members Tuesday night at the Deerwood Auditorium. Johnson asked for the community's help in resolving the strike. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls

About a half-dozen teachers attending the meeting walked out after organizers posted on overheard projectors both of the final contract offers made by school board members and union negotiators during last week's mediation session. Gail Gustafson, a C-I parent and a meeting organizer, said school board members gave that information to her. The board also mailed copies of their final offer to community members this week. Gustafson said a teachers' union attorney called her before the meeting asking her not to post that information because the state mediator had placed a gag order on releasing it.

Several C-I residents took turns at the microphone at the meeting, offering their opinions and advice on how the community can help resolve the strike.

Tommy Rollens, a C-I parent, said the Crosby-Ironton community is small and struggling to recover the losses they've experienced during the past few years. He advocated binding arbitration to end the strike, which was met by applause. He said Superintendent Linda Lawrie should take control of negotiations away from board and union members because that's what taxpayers are paying her for. He added he didn't believe retiring teachers should negotiate their own retirement packages.

"We believe what the board is offering is fair," added Theresa Lashyro, Crosby. "You can only offer what you can afford."

Craig Johnson, a C-I High School math teacher and head football coach, read a statement from teachers at the meeting. He said no one wants to end this strike more than teachers do. Johnson said teachers want a fair settlement and they are concerned about the credentials of the substitute teachers the district has hired to teach first- and second-graders, calling them "expensive day care." Johnson encouraged community members to contact school board members to encourage the board to sit down and negotiate with union negotiators.

Mary McCormick said she called the Department of Education and learned that her son, a C-I senior, and the rest of his classmates will be able to graduate from high school as long as they go back to school two weeks before graduation. But McCormick said students should be enjoying their senior year and not worrying about the strike.

"They need to be thinking about the problem or who's dating who, not whether they're going to school," said McCormick.

Craig Johnson, a Crosby-Ironton High School math teacher and head football coach, spoke on behalf of striking teachers to C-I parents and community members Tuesday night at the Deerwood Auditorium. Johnson asked for the community's help in resolving the strike. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls

Leona Miller, also a parent, said there is a lot of talk about respect but she wondered if students will have respect for their teachers once they return to school after hearing about them yelling at substitute teachers as they crossed the picket lines.

Lucy Lueck, a C-I community member, received a standing ovation when she said she considers herself a "scab," but that's a good thing. She said she helped organize a Valentine's Day dance for junior high students during the strike and the students enjoyed themselves.

"Why are our kids being destroyed and being used like a pingpong (ball) in this game?," said Lueck. "I'm sorry, you teachers. I have figured out after 25 years, I'm not making what you start at and I'm sick of it."

Lueck told audience members to look up the definition of "scab," and they will learn it means a healing covering over an open wound. Lueck said substitute teachers who cross the picket lines should be proud of themselves.

"As far as I'm concerned, they are trying to heal our community while you (teachers) keep gouging deeper and ruining our children's lives," said Lueck.

Roger Pratt said it was difficult for both sides but it was time to do what's right for the children, by getting not only the 2003-2005 teachers' contract settled but by settling the next contract as well.

Carol Brix, a C-I community member with four grandchildren in the district, said everyone would like to have retiree health benefits but few get them.

"Let's give them what they negotiated 30 years ago in health insurance," said Brix as audience members applauded. "But then let's give them the wages they negotiated 30 years ago."

Gustafson encouraged community members to write to their legislators to help resolve this strike. Other suggestions made by audience members included setting a date by which both sides need to come to a settlement or face all C-I parents pulling their children out of the district.

"I really want these teachers to agree to whatever it is so we can get back to school and learn what we want to learn," said Andrea Miller, a C-I ninth-grader.

C-I senior Nicole Larson said she doesn't want to remember her last week of high school before the strike as when her best friend, Amber Starr McKanna, was killed in a car accident Jan. 31.

"I want to go back now," said Larson. "I want to learn something. I need to be in school. That's where I belong. I don't need to be home doing nothing and that's exactly what I'm doing."

"Our community is strong. It's full of pride," said Gustafson. "There's absolutely no reason the kids should be suffering."

Mike Aulie recommended everyone in the community remember to treat each other with respect because their children are watching.

"We need to live together after this is over," said Aulie. "Let's please be kind and considerate of one another."

"I'm sorry they're not in the classrooms," said C-I parent Amy Vukelich, of striking teachers. "They made the decision to strike. Let's support whoever's gonna teach our kids."

"I want our teachers back. We all do," said Randy Cousins. "I think the district has to do what they have to do by bringing subs in but we all know that's not a long-term solution."

Adam Carry said teachers need to know how the community is feeling and encouraged residents to stop and talk to teachers out on the picket lines. Carry said teachers don't understand that the community is not behind them.

School board chair Scott Kile said he and board members Bob Sandin and Therese Norwood showed up at the end of the meeting, arriving late because the board had been meeting in closed session at the Ironton City Hall to discuss negotiations with the teachers' union.

Kile said the board would have liked to have attended the meeting and it hopes to attend the next one.

"I'm really happy the community came together that way," said Kile.

Teachers had a differing opinion about the community meeting. Union president Stan Nagorski, who did not attend the community meeting, said the district breached confidentiality during negotiations that the state mediator requested by releasing contract offer information. He said the union would look into unfair labor practices conducted by the school board.

Nagorski said teachers were disappointed in the tone of Tuesday's meeting.

"The format was not conducive to hearing both sides," said Nagorski. "(Teachers at the meeting) came back and said it was less than neutrally set up. They were very disappointed at how it went. Strikes are never popular. ... You can toast the teachers all you want, but the children are the victims of the chaotic educational system. We have numerous reports of chaotic situations in the classrooms. It is not the system those (first- and second-graders) should be experiencing."

Nagorski said teachers would not be in attendance at any similar meetings.

"This group isn't interested in finding out the real situation," said Nagorski. "This group is interested in roasting teachers."

Mary Gaviglio, a C-I alternative program lead teacher, was disappointed in the meeting Tuesday, which she attended with six other teachers.

"It was so negative," said Gaviglio. "I've worked in this district for a long time and I truly love these kids. It was an awful experience. I thought it was a problem-solving meeting; how do we get this process kicked into gear? It was a forum to vent and bash teachers. ... I believe there are people who still respect teachers; unfortunately, I didn't hear them."

Gaviglio said she is concerned about the substitute teachers the district has hired. She was disappointed to hear that community members at the meeting were supporting them and it didn't seem to matter that they lacked training.

"I don't see any concern about what happens when this is over," said Gaviglio. "I understand people would say, 'Well, you shouldn't have gone on strike.' Yes, that's one way of looking at it. But we need to survive once this is done. We have to go back and work with those kids. I didn't see that foresight."

"I felt the community showed a lot of support," said Gustafson. "I commend the teachers for showing up."

"I thought it went really well," said Michelle Sand, of Deerwood, of the meeting. "It was nice for teachers' representatives to come, even if it was probably hard for them. I give them credit for that."

No mediation sessions have been planned between the school board and teachers' union.

JODIE TWEED can be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.