“At this point it’s all conjecture,” spokeswoman Gail Spolar said.
The November resolution describes a pattern of retaliatory behavior by Deeder, especially surrounding the district’s heated contract negotiations this year. The union overwhelmingly approved a three-year, $42.8 million contract after 14 months of negotiations and the hiring of a state-appointed mediator.
“He has decided not to just bury the hatchet,” Lutz said.
In the resolution, the representative group accuses Deeder of chastising employees who “expressed support for a student-centered bargain,” canceling all professional development during the contract day and pulling his “long-standing support” for Democrat Monica Stonier — a teacher at the district and a member of EEA — in her race for 49th Legislative District representative. Stonier did not return a request for comment Monday.
“Educators are constantly anticipating who will be the next person the Superintendent targets for retaliation,” the resolution reads.
But Spolar chalked ongoing frustrations to a portion of the contract that restricts teacher professional development days. Though teachers are required to take continuing education, the new Evergreen Public Schools contract requires teachers to use personal days off to attend conferences or training during school hours. Doing so keeps trained teachers in the classrooms and eases the amount of money the district has to pay for substitute teachers, Spolar said, adding that there is a substitute shortage and the district is relying on emergency substitutes — subs who do not have teaching certificates.
“Those are kind of those sticking points,” Spolar said. “When you start being a little more firm and restrictive and adhere to the contract, that causes friction.”
Lutz said the group will discuss the resolution again at its Dec. 12 meeting, then begin collecting signatures. He anticipated signatures will be given to the district early next year.
