The Manchester Education Association remains committed to maintaining a quality public education for every student and believes that the current confusion surrounding the status of our negotiations is the result of a series of misunderstandings and miscommunication between the parties involved.
No one from MEA leadership has made a deliberately false statement regarding the negotiations, and if incorrect information was conveyed or expressed it was not intentional.
We understand fully that the well-being of our students and members is not served by making false or misleading statements, or by mis-characterizing the status of the negotiations process.
MEA members, throughout the difficult and complex negotiations, have maintained their dedication, commitment, and professionalism. The thought and care they put into everything they do to reach, teach and inspire the young people of our city is matched only by the sacrifices they make when they put the needs of their students above everything else in their life with the extra hours, dollars, and worry they extend to their students.
We understand the complexity of many of the proposals that are currently being discussed and that some of these proposals may take more time than we have to fully explore. To that end, the MEA is open to moving forward on a short-term agreement to ensure that the dedicated men and women who take care of our students do not fall behind in also taking care of their own needs and those of their families.
We hope to be able to move past this misunderstanding and focus our efforts on coming to an agreement with the Board.
Sue Ellen Hannan
Sue Ellen Hannon is President of the Manchester Education Association
