The proverbial epicenter of Pennsylvania’s collective bargaining disputes in public education is nearing its end. On Wednesday evening, December 16th, the Saucon Valley School Board will release the final details of the “understanding” and proposed settlement with its teachers’ association.

After its most recent 14-day strike ended, the board and association have been working to hammer out the remaining details for a new contract that will be retroactive to the fall of 2008.

At a public meeting held earlier this fall, I had the chance to speak briefly with board president, Ralph Puerta. In the few words we shared, I gained much respect and insight into this difficult area of school operations.

Without a doubt, this long standing impasse has divided stakeholders and taken its toll on many. It may take many months or even years for things to slowly go back to normal. By that time, this process will have started all over again.

Nonetheless, this will remain a constant struggle for school boards across the state — trying to maintain a delicate “balance” of responsibility, expectations and perceptions — with taxpayers on one end and a teaching union on the other — and our students always in the middle.

Although some may be labeled “winners” at the end of this process, there truly are no real winners in this complex and somewhat twisted way of “doing business” to educate our children.

Thankfully, the owner of this blog has helped shed some light into what is truly needed the most…transparency!

— Posted by Paul Fisher