Approved U-46 teacher contract leaves some unanswered questions

Elgin Area School District U-46's recently approved teacher contract has taken a significant step forward in dealing with class sizes and case loads, two of the biggest sticking points in the year-long negotiation process between the Elgin Teachers Association and the district.

Still, the 2,400 members of the state's second largest teachers union head into a new deal with some unanswered questions.

"What we've done isn't the solution for class size and case loads. (The contract) addresses it in a very narrow way. I believe members are looking for more…I'm looking for more as well," union president Tim Davis said.

The agreement mandates a teaching assistant for all elementary classes with more than 30 students. The contract teachers rejected Oct. 15 called for a teaching assistant in elementary special-needs classes of 30 and in any other kindergarten through sixth-grade classes of 32 or more students.

Class sizes at the middle and high schools remain largely unaddressed, with the exception of additional physical education classes at the high school level beginning in January.

Inadequate solutions for class sizes and case loads were found to be the primary reasons the earlier deal was rejected, a survey taken by more than 80 percent of union members revealed.

A class size and case load task force will be established to look further into those issues, the new contract says.

"The task force that's going to be formed will have a lot of work to do, and one of the things that's going to be done short term is having everyone in the system understand how class size and case load is determined now," Davis said. "Right now there isn't a common understanding of how that occurs."

This year, about 12 classrooms throughout all 40 U-46 elementary schools have more than 30 students, according to the district. The largest is a fourth-grade class at Timber Trails Elementary in Hoffman Estates with 33.

At the high school level, U-46 currently has two high school classes with 46 students, one with 35, five with 35, six with 34, 20 with 33, 28 with 32, and 61 with 31, according to district data. These only include classes in core academic subjects, defined by the No Child Left Behind Act as English, mathematics, science, foreign language, civics, economics, arts, history and geography.

In early 2008, Davis said, the union will sit down with its leadership groups, including members of the contract bargaining team, to create the task force and create a timeline.

"We'll outline a clearer understanding of our work ahead, then we'll meet with the district. Then, we'll put a timeline into place," he said.

The contract's 76.4 percent approval by union voters, Davis said, may have been a partial product of getting it settled before holiday break.

The contract negotiation process began in January.