May 22, 2014
50 cents Jefferson County, Colorado | Volume 30, Issue 47 A publication of
wheatridgetranscript.com
Tensions rise in negotiations with district Jeffco School District negotiations uncertain By Crystal Anderson
canderson@colorado communitymedia.com A relationship forged over decades is falling apart. Through federal mediation, negotiating teams from the Jefferson County School District and the Jefferson County Educators Association (JCEA) agreed on a memorandum of understanding May 8, but a later amendment raised concerns the agreement won’t be ratified. Both sides said such a breakdown in negotiation had not occurred in recent memory. “I’m hoping the board will go ahead and ratify the agreement, and we can move forward together,” JCEA President Ami Prichard said. Shortly after the agreement was made, the board of education asked for a provision in the teacher compensation clause, asking that nonprobationary teachers rated ineffective or partially ineffective be
ineligible for step increases, which are increases based on years of teaching experience. Prichard said the JCEA was in favor of teacher evaluation, but recent board decisions had raised red flags among some teachers regarding the amendment’s impacts. After speaking with its counsel, the JCEA negotiating team presented the agreement to its board without the amendment, and it was signed. The agreement was then voted on and approved by 88 percent of the association’s voting members, before being sent to the board of education on May 15. Prior to the association vote, the district’s negotiating team sent out an memo to Jeffco teachers, stating that the initial agreement was tentative, and the JCEA leadership knew that the district might request revisions or modifications to the agreement before the Jeffco school board would approve it. “The JCEA leadership has chosen to not honor that understanding by taking a tentative agreement to ratification,” the memo signed by the district negotiation team states. “JCEA leadership is potentially jeopar-
dizing step increases for the vast majority of teachers who are rated effective or highly effective by asking you to ratify an agreement that will not be approved by members of the Board of Education.” When asked, school board president Ken Witt declined to answer whether the board had directed staff to send the memo. “I will speak to the process,” he said. “If the JCEA is to take a set of terms they know the board cannot agree to, then we go to fact finding (third-party dispute evaluation), which is a new process in this (negotiation), and then the board of education will make a decision based on those recommendations.” The tentative agreement covered step compensation increases for teachers, the standardization of district benefits, additional compensation after the increased cost of PERA, the district’s public pension and retirement fund, and having a competitive wage for newly-hired teachers. According to the memo, compensation for probationary teachers is the only item left to be resolved by both parties. “The district believes it is important to differentiate in terms of compensation between the vast majority of teachers who
are rated effective and the small number of teachers who haven’t met that standard,” reads the memo. The district has a compensation placeholder in its preliminary budget, increasing the amount from $11.7 million to $17 million for step increases for teachers. “My position is that performance needs to be part of compensation,” Witt said. “I think we need to give raises to our effective teachers, and have a performance-based compensation plan in place.” In early April, the JCEA negotiating team declared an impasse, noting its concerns were not being met during open negotiations. The two sides began mediation, resulting in the tentative memorandum of understanding agreement. With budget deadlines at hand, the two sides must settle on a version of the agreement or move on to fact finding. “With a new superintendent coming on, the end of the year, and all the things happening, I think it would be best to put it (mediation) to rest and move forward,” Prichard said. “I think the agreement we put together is very much in line with what the community expressed and what they want to see.”
‘It’s a very popular event that doesn’t just
GAME ON
do food, but a lot of different vendors. The vendors we have vary by market — some do the same markets and some move. It really depends on them.’ Market Manager John Herian
MARKET VALUE
Denver’s oldest farmers market returns to Wheat Ridge By Clarke Reader
creader@colorado communitymedia.com
Wheat Ridge senior Max Marcum unloads a shot at Aspen’s goaltender during the Farmers’ 12-7 win Wednesday at Trailblazer Stadium. However, Wheat Ridge was beat 13-11 by Ponderosa during Saturday’s 4A state title game. See story on Page 19. Photo by Daniel Williams
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Summer is fast approaching, and for people looking for fresh food that can only mean one thing — farmers markets. For the past 37 years Metro Denver Farmers’ Market has brought fresh food and local goods to cities all over the Denver area, and they will be continuing that tradition this year with six locations — including one in Wheat Ridge. The market will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Thursday starting on June 11, at 4260 Wadsworth Blvd. “It’s a very popular event that doesn’t just do food, but a lot of different vendors,” said market manager John Herian. “The vendors we have vary by market — some do the same markets and some move. It really depends on them.” According to information provided by Toni Starner with the organization, items on sale include gardening and fresh flowers and plants, beef, honey, rice, fresh European breads and pastries, herbs, spices and condiments and ready-to-eat foods. Market partners like Domenico Farms, Forté Farms, Rocky Mountain Rice Com-
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Metro Denver Farmers’ Market WHERE: 4260 Wadsworth Blvd., Wheat Ridge WHEN: Starting on June 11 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Thursday COST: Free admission INFORMATION: 303-887-FARM or www.denverfarmersmarket.com pany and Styria Bakery II will be selling their wares. Some of the vendors who will be part of this year’s market include Ant D’s Fine Foods which offers jams, jellies, pastries, barbecue and catering, Philpott Goat Dairy which is one of the last traditional goat cheese dairy farms in Colorado using age-old methods for making ricotta and goat cheese and Taspen Organics which sells natural, organic wellness products: herbs, oils, and pure essential oils. Herian added that there will be other wellness groups and sometimes chiropractors to give advice and demonstrations to shoppers. One of the focuses of these markets is providing not only healthy food but items from local farmers. The peak season for fruits and vegetables is June and items will start appearing in the markets as soon as the farmers pick them. For more information call 303-887FARM or visit www.denverfarmersmarket. com.