The AISD board voted Monday to leave employees in limbo over their future employment rights, delaying a decision on who will represent teachers and staff in human-resources matters and contract negotiations for another three months. For 12 years the district has had an exclusive agreement with Education Austin, and the board was supposed to renew that for another four years on Nov. 21, before the administration pulled it from the agenda without warning (see “‘More Inclusive’ at the Exclusion of Teachers?,” Dec. 2). With the current deal set to expire Dec. 31, the board voted on Dec. 12 to suspend its current rules, effectively extending the current arrangement until March 1. Superintendent Meria Carstarphen has argued that she wants to build a “more inclusive” consultation model that would bring more employment groups to the table (though her staff is reportedly only talking to Education Austin and the Association of Texas Professional Educators). Last week, she told the Chronicle that she doesn’t believe Education Austin has made serious attempts to reach out beyond its own membership – an allegation union co-President Ken Zarifis flatly denies, saying the administration is “spinning … and in the policy it shows how we take input from all” employees. What makes this all the more suspect to Zarifis is that it comes just as the district is considering a massive deal with IDEA Public Schools – whose staff are all “at-will,” meaning they can be fired without cause at any time.
This article appears in December 16 • 2011.
