Former congressman and education commissioner William S. Torres will serve as guest speaker in tomorrow\u2019s meeting of teacher representatives at the Multi-Purpose Hall in Susupe.<\/p>\n
Public school teacher representative Ambrose Bennett said yesterday that Torres will give his account on the history of the CNMI Constitution and teacher groups.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is an authority on this subject. He knows it very well,\u201d said Bennett.<\/p>\n
Meantime, he said that a teachers\u2019 manifesto that lists 27 priority goals for teachers will be presented tomorrow.<\/p>\n
Among others, the manifesto lists the promotion of a stronger working relationship among teachers, administration, State Board of Education, and the CNMI government \u201cdriven by collective bargaining agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among its priorities are the need to address basic supply needs, communication and information links; copiers in schools; to modify teachers\u2019 contracts to include the phrase \u201ctermination based on cause\u201d; extension of contract terms; inclusion of all librarians and teacher aides in the bargaining agreement; review of teachers\u2019 incentives; to purse legislation allowing U.S. recruited teachers to own house and lot; and to pursue legislative action authorizing teachers to have control over some funds for classroom purposes.<\/p>\n
Bennett said the goals stated in the manifesto were generated through a survey of 273 teachers from 12 of the 19 schools in the CNMI.<\/p>\n
Bennett is also pushing for the signing of a recognition agreement with the BOE on teachers\u2019 collective bargaining power.<\/p>\n
He said such agreement aims to recognize a bargaining agent for teachers within PSS and to empower the recognized agent to negotiate with the board on related issues.<\/p>\n
Under the proposed agreement, the BOE teacher representative and the panel\u2014composed of teacher representatives from various schools\u2014shall be the permanent bargaining agent for teachers in the CNMI PSS.<\/p>\n
Bennett said the BOE is only required to recognize a bargaining agent for teachers and is not required to agree or concede to any proposed agreement. <\/p>\n
Bennett, who won a teacher representative seat in an election last January, has been pushing for collective bargaining for teachers within the system, which he said is enshrined in the CNMI constitution.<\/p>\n
But, although the Constitution carries such provision, he said that an agreement with the BOE and a supporting law shall be required for its full implementation. <\/p>\n
The board has created an ad-hoc committee to look into this matter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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